Anatomy of Trailmix

Today I had to make a trip to Target, a.k.a. the impulse buy store, for some art supplies. I stayed away from the clothes, I looked at the appliances and resisted, but I caved at the $2.99 trail mix.

Mistake.



















They look so innocent right?


And they put all the ingredients on the front label right? Just some dried fruit!


How's a girl to resist this deliciousness?



I should have had some stronger self will because take a look at this ingredient list. When I was at Target I thought it was just the left side of ingredients...it was only until I got home and was shoving handfuls of this stuff in my mouth that I saw the overflow ingredients on the right side!!! I seriously would not have bought these mixes had I noticed there were ingredients that supposedly "improve texture". What. Is. That.






















These trail mixes fill two columns full of chemical ingredients and hydrogenated oils. Why does trail mix need oil?! (to prevent sticking...heaven forbid your raisin sticks to a piece of dried pineapple! I'll clog my arteries to avoid that horror...)

The ingredients list on these mixes should read as follows:

Fruit and Berry- raisins, golden raisins, cranberries (sweetened with apple juice or other natural sweetener), pineapple, papaya, cherries and blueberries.

Tropical Fruit and Berry- raisins, pineapple, papaya, dates, banana chips, apricot and cranberries.

That's it. Nothing more should be on these ingredients lists...fruit is naturally sweet so why did these mixes add tons of sugar sweeteners? In the fruit and berry ingredient list I found EIGHT sources of sugar, and multiple preservatives and dyes. As for dyes fruit is naturally colorful...I prefer mine not to be neon a little discoloration will not kill me. And preservatives...well food is supposed to rot. If a food can stay "fresh" in my cupboard for 1-2 years how long will it take for my body to process that food? And does keeping a food from rotting really preserve the nutrients? The whole point of eating food is to get nutrients...when I eat this trail mix I don't get nutrients I get too much sugar, hydrogenated oil, preservatives and dyes. Ick not good fuel to run my body on.

The first bite of this trail mix gave me a sugar rush. Yum. Then it was all a candy coated downhill from there. Literally. I bought the Tropical Mix because I have been craving dates...the dates in this mix tasted like brown sugar with an slight aftertaste of date. Not satisfying, not to mention there are about 3 minuscule date chunks in this entire bag. While the dates were the sugariest all the other came in very close second. They should call these trail mixes "Candy Coated Trail Mix".

The cherry on top of this dessert? Acid Reflux. Yes I frequently suffer from acid reflux and heartburn and sometimes its healthy foods that trigger it (any type of tomato sauce/paste or certain spicy foods). But mostly it's the bad ones like coffee and overly sweetened things like these trailmixes. (I accidentally ordered a sweetened tea from Caribou Coffee and the first sip caused major throat burnage).

For ONLY! $2.99 each I got some unhealthy snacks. Live and learn to resist temptations that don't even deliver. I will be saving my money for a Trader Joe's trip! I have never been but have heard so much about the amazing bulk bins full of treats that do not have a bunch of chemicals and such added. Can't wait!

Is there anything you can't resist buying if it's on sale or you see it in a store?