Get out your jerseys and assemble your buddies, because Game Day is almost here! What could pump up your energy more than a satisfyingly crunchy snack mix? To fulfill cravings for sweet, salty, or spicy munchies, we recommend filling a few bowls with different types of mixes. Here are 5 nutty snack mix recipes from tasteofhome.com that will be a hit with your pals.

1. Spicy Chex Mix

Caution: Excessive celebration may take place after eating this mix. This nutty snack mix recipe combines Chex cereal, Cheerios, almonds, pecan halves, paprika onion powder, hot sauce, and dried cranberries for a sweet-tart kick.

2. Honey Nut Crunch Mix

If you’re in the mood for salty and sweet with a little spice, this nutty snack mix recipe will quell your craving. Combine smooth peanut butter, honey nut cereal, mixed nuts, mini pretzels with butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne.

3. Kickin’ Cheddar Mix

This kickin’ snack mix recipe will make your tastebuds do a victory dance! It’s crunchy, nutty, and creamy all at once, full of crispy cereals, pretzel sticks (or sesame sticks), cheddar cheese crackers, mixed nuts, pistachios, seasoned with spices like cayenne pepper and dill weed. Yum!

4. Confetti Snack Mix

This sweet and crunchy Confetti Snack Mix is a hit with kids! It’s so simple to make that they can do it themselves. Just mix Golden Grahams cereal with dry roasted peanuts, banana chips, raisins, and milk chocolate M&Ms, and you have yourself a tasty treat!

5. Blizzard Snack Mix

Those who love sweet and salty pretzels will devour this Blizzard Snack Mix. Combine miniature pretzels with roasted peanuts and chopped caramels, then toss with melted white chocolate chips. Can you imagine anything more tempting?

If you’d rather order your snacks than prepare them yourself, check out our Top Treats for the Super Bowl!

We truly appreciate the work that our military servicemen and servicewomen do every day. Many of them are stationed overseas — on ships and submarines, on bases and in combat zones — and must spend long periods of time away from their families and friends without the comforts of home.

With the help of our generous customers, we have tried to give a little bit back to those who serve our country, sending more than 1,000 care packages to troops stationed abroad through the Nuts for Our Troops program. The program has been going strong since 2007, and we couldn’t have done it without your amazing support!

Nuts for Our Troops: 2 Easy Ways to Get Involved

1. Send treats to someone you love.

If you have a friends or family members stationed overseas, we make it simple (and super fast) to send them any of our products. Enter the recipients’ APO or FPO address at checkout when you purchase your goodies, and we’ll get them delivered in just a few days.

• Send true love (and chocolate!) this Valentine’s Day
• Send your tough guy or gal this basket o’ spicy goodies
• Make a custom trail mix that’s tailored to a special someone’s taste buds

2. Brighten the day of someone you don’t know.

If you don’t know anyone serving abroad in the military, you can still help out! Buy a Nuts.com care package and send it to someone who will greatly appreciate a taste of home. For just $30, we will send a delicious 7 lb. snack pack to one of the people listed in our database of overseas troops. The snack pack includes our:

Gummy bears
Spicy southern heat mix
Roasted sunflower seeds
Fresh roasted peanuts
Naturally sweet dried mango
Energy-packed health mix
Protein-rich power mix

Sending a care package is a wonderful way to show our troops that we’re thinking of them. You can even include a message to the recipient and include your email address so he or she can write to you personally. Here is some mail we’ve received from appreciative recipients:

“My name is Eric Athman and I am a 2nd Lieutenant in the Minnesota National Guard. I am currently stationed at Camp Bondsteel in Southern Kosovo. My platoon and I are all a part of KFOR9. We are here to provide a safe and secure environment in Kosovo as they transition into an independently governed nation. We are stationed here for roughly a year and it has been somewhat difficult being away during the holiday season. Your care package of assorted nuts really helped boost the morale of my platoon.” - 2LT Eric Athman, Kosovo 

“WOW!! What a surprise. A box filled with all kinds of goodies. This was a great idea, and beyond a thoughtful donation… NUTS for our Troops is an amazing program, thank you again for the support and dedication of the troops in Afghanistan, especially the 864th Engineer Company.” – Angela B. Averill, Sharana, Afghanistan

“I just received a package today from NutsOnline.com that someone sent me from back home. I absolutely love everything that was in the package and the guys in my division are loving it as well. Thank you for the support you give us military men and women. You guys are awesome!!” - Ray, USS San Jacinto

We care so much about this program that 10 percent of all military-related orders goes straight back into the Nuts for Our Troops program! We hope you’ll join us and send a care package of your own.

Get involved! 

The Big Game is almost here. Have you stocked up on munchies? Whether you’re going to a neighborhood party or are hosting one yourself, you’ll want to share a few crunchy mixes to satisfy your hungry pals. After all, adrenaline-fueled cravings are serious business! Here are five delicious game day snacks that are sure to please any crowd.

1. Mix of Champions

Wish your team luck by noshing on the Mix of Champions. This spicy, salty, and smoky mix is packed with hickory smoked almonds, edamame, salted macadamia nuts, chili bits, buffalo peanuts, and cheddar sesame sticks.

 2. Bar Mix

5. Mix of the Man

This is a mix for those who are “man enough” to handle the heat. This unique mix is packed with hickory smoked almonds, cajun corn sticks, mixed nuts, toasted corn, cajun peanuts, dried strawberries, and M&M’s. The Mix of the Man is chock-full of sweet heat. Heat-seeking ladies, you’ll enjoy this, too.

You are what you eat, goes the old saying, and making smart nutrition decisions can have a huge impact on your overall health and well being. Incorporating small changes into your diet may help protect against diabetes.

Last week, Dr. Joel Fuhrman was a guest on “The Doctor Oz Show” to promote his new book, The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes. Dr. Fuhrman is a family physician, nutritional researcher and author, and his new book is a “radical idea wrapped in a simple plan”: eat better to stop diabetes. He recommends eating foods with high nutrient density, such as beans, berries, vegetables, seeds and nuts, replacing less nutrient-dense foods and naturally cutting back on sugars, carbohydrates and sodium (all of which can lead to type 2 diabetes).

Dr. Fuhrman is a firm believer in food having the power to prevent and cure disease, and he recommends eating five foods regularly to protect against diabetes: squash, adzuki beans, cashews, cocoa powder and pomegranates.

Nuts.com offers an excellent selection of many of these tasty and healthy foods — stock your pantry and find new ways to incorporate them into your snacks and meals.

Cashews

Cashews are full of fiber, protein and healthy mono-unsaturated fats, as well as copper, magnesium, zinc and biotin. Their sweet, nutty flavor makes them a delicious snack right out of the bag or a great addition to a salad or stir-fry.

• Roasted Cashews
• Honey-Roasted Cashews
• Raw Cashew Pieces

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa Powder is an essential ingredient in hot chocolate, brownies and smoothies, and it also adds depth and flavor to savory chilis and sauces. The good news for chocoholics is that cocoa powder also contains many health benefits — cocoa’s high antioxidant content protects against free radicals and may fight diabetes and lower blood pressure.

• Organic Cocoa Powder
• Dutch Cocoa Powder

Pomegranates

Pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C, and studies have shown that they can slow the spread of prostate cancer and prevent heart disease. Pomegranate seeds are a quick and satisfying snack, and pomegranate powder can be incorporated into smoothies, curries and desserts.

• Dried Pomegranates
• Freeze-Dried Pomegranates
• Pomegranate Powder

What are your favorite ways to use cashews, cocoa powder or pomegranates?

We’re always honored when publications and blogs feature our nutty products, and we thought you might like to hear about the items highlighted over the past few months. The best part is that you can try these featured products for yourself!

1. Gummy Red and Black Raspberries
Featured in: Brides magazine, Winter 2013 issue

Imported from Germany, these old time candy red and black gummy raspberries are delicious! They’re crunchy on the outside and chewy, sweet, and fruity on the inside. Use them to decorate a cake or fill a colorful candy bowl.

2. Lemon Chips
Featured in: Chocolate Moosey

Carla, the author of this baking blog, describes her Lemon Snowball Cookies like this: “Think melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread cookies coated with powdered sugar.” YUM! Here’s how Carla used our lemon chips to add flavor and texture:

The original recipe called for crushed lemon drops, but I used the chips instead. When the cookies are fresh from the oven, they are soft and melted. When they cool, however, they become crunchy.

3. Coffee-and-Cream Espresso Beans
Featured in: Martha Stewart Weddings online

We can’t tell you how excited we are that our candy was part of the dessert table at the September wedding of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds! See the whole slideshow here. Try the coffee-and-cream espresso beans displayed at their Southern wedding, or pick your own candy colors!

4. Organic Bucket of Treats
Featured in: Greatist.com

Our Organic Bucket of Treats was one of 24 gifts featured in Greatist’s The Essential Holiday Gift Guide for Health Nuts. The editors made sure to note, “We weren’t paid or perked in any way for including these items. This is a list of gifts The Greatist Team picked out just because we like them.” Aw, shucks! Here’s what they said:

For all the favorite nuts in your life, order up a healthy bucket of organic treats. This gift includes granola, mixed nuts, trail mix, pistachios, figs, and even organic gummy bears. They even do all the wrapping for you!

5. Sixlets by Color
Featured in: Hostess with the Mostess

Our lime green sixlets filled a gorgeous candy jar on a holiday dessert table and cocoa bar. You can order your own sixlets by color! Here’s the concept behind this holiday display:

“All is Calm, All is Bright” from Silent Night inspired this serene Christmas Dessert Table & Cocoa Bar. Wanting to slow down the rush of the holiday season, Deanna of Mirabelle Creations, crafted a peaceful holiday party full of easy DIY elements like a coffee filter garland and homemade sweets including dainty flower topped sugar cookies.

6. Roasted Macadamia Nuts
Featured in: Martha Stewart Weddings, Fall 2012 issue

Our roasted macadamia nuts topped a cake in a feature on White Wedding Cakes. Here’s the mouth-wateringly good description:

Kick back and enjoy the sweet life with a spread of simple but beautiful cakes. Wendy Kromer used a petal-shaped mold to create these scalloped tiers, which are frosted in velvety buttercream laced with rum and topped with toasted macadamia nuts. Inside? Yellow cake layered with even more cream. Nearby bowls of roasted nuts are not only thematically on point; they also encourage snacking and admiring the mouthwatering confections up close.

Which Nuts.com product do you think should be featured next?

If you were entranced by C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia as a child (or as an adult!), you may remember the magical properties of Turkish delight from Edmund’s encounter with the evil White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:

“It is dull, Son of Adam, to drink without eating,” said the Queen presently. “What would you like best to eat?”

“Turkish Delight, please, your Majesty,” said Edmund.

The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle on to the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious.

Turkish delight, also known as lokum, is a real Turkish dessert that is every bit as delicious as Edmund believed in the book. Each piece of the melt-in-your-mouth candy is covered in powdered sugar and often filled with pistachios, almonds or other nuts.

When Turkish delight rose in popularity during the 18th century, the candies were sweetened with honey or molasses and flavored with rosewater, orange or lemon, then covered in powdered sugar. These traditional flavors of Turkish delight are still available at stalls in Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar, along with flavor variations such as sour cherry, cinnamon, hazelnut, ginger and apricot.

Our Turkish delight is made by the Turkish company Hazer Baba and is available in four finger-licking flavors. Each box contains approximately 30 pieces of Turkish delight.

• Traditional Turkish Delight
• Pistachio Turkish Delight
• Almond Turkish Delight
• Mixed Nut Turkish Delight (Pistachio, Almond and Hazelnut)

Did you ever want to try Turkish delight after reading or watching The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe? Now is your chance to order a box for yourself!

During the cold, blustery days of winter, it can be tough to gather the energy you need to power you through the day. It’s easier to pull the covers over your head in the morning than to get to get up and tackle your daily goals.

Luckily, the foods you eat can give you a big pick-me-up. On the new health section of our website, you can find a number of foods to boost energy. Just click on the lightning bolt! Here are five of our favorites.

1. Chia Seeds

The terrific nutritional power of chia seeds makes them a favorite of health experts. According to Dr. Oz, “They just may be one of the healthiest things around.” Marathon runners and business people also love chia for its energy-boosting benefits. Aztec warriors are said to have carried chia seeds with them in battle and on the hunt, to build their energy and endurance. Try chia seeds in your oatmeal, add them to baked goods, or eat them raw!

2. Goji Berries

A study by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that among healthy adults, goji berry juice increased energy levels, athletic performance, and even a general sense of well-being. Goji berries are mildly sweet and satisfyingly chewy. They’re delicious when added to cereal, yogurt, or trail mix.

3. English Walnuts

Walnuts make a versatile, delicious snack. They’re also full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital to keep your body’s systems functioning: cell division, digestion, and brain activity. Getting these systems running smoothly will help you feel less sluggish and more energized.

4. Sunflower Seeds

Your body needs a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to stay properly fueled, and sunflower seeds contribute nutrients in each of these categories. They’re especially rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and Vitamin E, an important antioxidant. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on salads or eat them by the handful.

5. Organic Acai Powder

On Oprah.com, Dr. Perricone named acai his number one superfood. Acai berries have more antioxidants than almost any other fruit and contain high levels of fatty acids, amino acids, and dietary fiber. Acai powder has a slightly tart, tropical taste and is especially tasty when blended into smoothies or yogurt.

Which foods do you eat to boost your energy?

Yawwwwwwn.

Heading back to work after a holiday break is never easy, and just getting out of bed in the morning can feel like a Herculean task. Give yourself something to look forward to each day by stocking your pantry full of delicious, healthy breakfast foods that will perk up your sleepy taste buds and get you ready to tackle the day.

And it’s not just your mother who insists that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research shows that eating a good meal at the beginning of the day gives your body the energy it needs to function, helps you maintain a healthy weight and leads to better alertness and focus throughout your daily activities.

Here are some of our favorite healthy breakfast foods:

1. Acai Blueberry Superfood Cereal

What better way to start your day than with a bowl full of superfruits? Our acai blueberry superfood cereal is hearty, nutritious and packed with antioxidant-rich blueberries, acai, elderberries, bilberries and camu camu fruit. Studies show that blueberries may have numerous health benefits, from improving memory and combating disease to lowering blood pressure and protecting heart health.

2. Organic Raw Cacao Goji Energy Squares

No time to sit down for breakfast? No worries! Our raw cacao goji energy squares are perfect on-the-go bites that fit easily into a purse or briefcase. They are gluten-free and certified organic, made from goji berry powder, dates, raisins, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried apricots, coconut and chunks of cacao.

3. Gluten-Free Steel-Cut Oats

A bowl of this fiber-rich hot cereal will keep you going all morning long. Heat up our pure, old-fashioned oats with water and salt on the stovetop, then sprinkle with walnut pieces and dried fruit for a well-balanced breakfast. Try our gluten-free rolled oats, as well!

What is your favorite healthy breakfast item?

The holidays are a time of many happy indulgences: creamy mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, buttery cookies at Christmas, and free-flowing champagne at New Year’s. After a few weeks of treating ourselves, many of us feel motivated to restore balance to our bodies through healthy eating. Losing weight is a common New Year’s resolution, and fortunately there are plenty of metabolism boosting foods that also satisfy your tastebuds! Here are five of our favorites.

1. Almonds and Other Tree Nuts

Though nuts are relatively high in calories, when eaten in moderation, they can actually help you lose weight! In separate studies, researchers at Purdue University and City Hope National Medical Center found that tree nuts, such as almonds, and peanuts increased weight loss in study participants. So enjoy a handful of mixed nuts, or make a custom trail mix of your favorite tree nuts, guilt-free! Nut flour is great for baking, especially if you maintain a gluten-free diet.

2. Kale

We know what you’re thinking: that leafy green stuff? Well, this superfood is not just for rabbits anymore! Kale chips are a popular snack, because they’re good for you and absolutely delicious. They have a subtle crunch and come in a variety of flavors, such as Sea Salt & Vinegar, Spicy Miso, and Cranberry Nut.

3. Dried Fruit

Foods that are high in fiber, such as dried fruit, keep the digestive moving and boost metabolism. Dried plums (or prunes) are especially helpful because of their high iron content, which transports nutrients through the body quickly. Similarly, high potassium in dried bananas helps transfer nutrients to cells, which increases metabolism. Other fruits, such as dried apples and dried raspberries, are also great choices because they’re packed with fiber.

4. Green Tea

Japanese Zen priests were the first to use Matcha Green Tea in ceremonies aiming to achieve beauty, tranquility, and enlightenment. Studies have found that green tea helps burn fat and is high in antioxidants; 100% Matcha Green Tea offers these benefits in highly concentrated form. Mix it with hot water for a comforting beverage (sweeten it with a little honey, if you like!), or use it to make green tea yogurt or ice cream. Yum!

5. Chili Peppers

Capsaicin, the natural chemical in chili peppers that makes you sweat, is precisely what helps you burn energy and lose weight through a metabolic process called thermogenesis. Rehydrate dried chili peppers and add them to curries, soups, and stews to infuse them with flavor. This article shares how to cook with dried chili peppers.

What are your favorite metabolism boosting foods?