Is Trail Mix a good Paleo snack option?

It can be- or it can  be 180 degrees away from Paleo!  As always, CHECK THE LABEL!  While a simple trail mix that you  might make at home of raw walnuts & cashews and some natural raisins would be in keeping with Paleo foods (although- be aware of how much dried fruit you're eating as it is quite concentrated in natural sugar!), many others that you might encounter, even at the health food store, may not be.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking 'everything at Whole Foods, or your local Co-op is fair game'!  I have said many times that I do truly love shopping there, but we do need to keep in mind that even the most natural markets sell snacks, namely trail mix, for the purpose of this post, that we wouldn't want to consume.   

-Certain mixes may not contain peanuts, but they may have peanut (or soybean) oil.

-Others literally contain candy- chocolate or carob covered bits of crisp rice, for example, making that combination a no-go.

-Many blends are quite high in sodium.

-Some contain dried fruit that is either sweetened with cane juice or other sugars and/or treated with sulfur dioxide.

-I came across a blend the other day that contained artificial sugar!   Yikes!  Why?  Skip it!

-Still others may have pretzel, or other grain-based 'snacky' bits.

The bottom line here, as with many other food items, is that you're probably better off making it yourself.  Better yet, stick to a handful or raw walnuts and a FRESH piece of fruit!