Trail mix:
Delicious.
Convenient.
Has lots of nuts.

I was enjoying some trail mix this morning when it ocurred to me that trail mix has raisins. While the raisin is inarguably beneficial, given its inherent vitamins and micronutrients, I could not help but wonder why it is included in most forms of trail mix. My particular favorite is the mix consisting of peanuts, almonds, cashews (sometimes), m&m's, and raisins. Now, to make myself clear, this mix is my favorite due to its delectable nut/m&m combination. It just so happens that when those two are present, raisins are almost always also included. How did this happen? Was someone sitting in the lab one day, munching on some nuts and chocolate, thinking to themselves, "This stuff is pretty darn good. I quite like it, actually. But there's something missing... You know what? I think that shrivelled, dried-out grapes would make this treat absolutely delicious." Or is there a darker side to the story? A sinister deal perpetrated by organized crime? Perhaps the makers of the original trail mix had settled on the candy-coated chocolately deliciousness of m&m's for their mix, but couldn't convince the company to give them licensing rights for the candy. They would have turned, of course, to La Cosa Nostra, who could pull the strings to get them m&m's, but would ask one small favor in return. Cousin Luciano in California had harvested his grapes too late, and they had dried in the hot sun. His vineyard was about to tank, thanks to the loss of the entire crop. And so, the first trail mix had raisins thrown in, and the imitators followed suit.

So it might not have happened. But I'm pretty sure that something similar led to the persistent flossing demands of dentists everywhere.