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The 9 Healthiest Fruit Snacks, According to a Nutritionist
These store-bought fruit snacks keep the flavor while skipping the excess sugar.
What was once a modest category, fruit snacks now take up a serious amount of shelf real estate at most grocery stores. A favorite of toddlers and elite athletes alike, a diverse spectrum of fruit snack lovers reach for packs of these brightly colored, soft and chewy bites. But which are actually worth sinking your teeth into? Here are some healthy store-bought fruit snack picks.
How to Choose a Healthy Fruit Snack
Fruit snacks are made from varied combinations of dried fruit, fruit and fruit juice concentrates, and added sweeteners. To seek out the healthiest fruit snacks, check nutrition facts panels and ingredient lists to make the best choice for your needs. These small packs of fruity goodness will never be a replacement for eating more fresh produce, but they can be added to a healthy snacking repertoire. Full fruit options often contain fiber, which will be digested more slowly, making these types better for a satisfying snack.
When looking for a quick source of carbs to help fuel exercise, a fruit snack lower in fiber, made with fruit juice concentrates and even a small amount of added sugar, is a reasonable option. Serving sizes for fruit snacks are typically modest, and the sugar count per serving is low, at about one to three teaspoons.
What’s the Difference Between Fruit Snacks and Gummy Candy?
And are fruit snacks really a healthy alternative for kids and teens?
These fruit-forward gummies are made from just two ingredients: guava and mango. Naturally sweet, with a dense texture, they come in a 20-gram pouch, with less than one gram per serving. The gummies are available in a wide variety of flavors as well.
- Primary Ingredients Mango, guava
- Type Gummies
- Calories Per Serving 60
- Added Sugar Per Serving 0 grams
RIND Snacks boasts a blend of skin-on dried fruit that has a chewy texture reminiscent of a gummy, but with a heartier texture. Sold in packs of six bags, there's no added sugar and five grams of fiber per serving.
- Primary Ingredients Dried pears, dried apples, dried strawberries
- Type Dried fruit
- Calories Per Serving 140
- Added Sugar Per Serving 0 grams
A popular and affordable choice for school lunches and pre-workout snacks, Welch's Mixed Fruit Fruit Snacks gummies have a classic, bouncy texture. They contain small amounts of fruit but only have about two teaspoons of added sugar per serving.
- Primary Ingredients Whole fruit purees, corn syrup, sugar, corn starch, gelatin
- Type Gummies
- Calories Per Serving 70
- Added Sugar Per Serving 8 grams
Despite the brand name, these fruit snacks are not organic, but they are made with purees and juices from fruit. Plus, they only contain about 1.5 teaspoons of added sugar per serving. Pure Organic offers a wide array of fruit snack options.
- Primary Ingredients Apple puree and juice concentrate, citrus pectin, blueberry puree concentrate
- Type Gummies
- Calories Per Serving 70
- Added Sugar Per Serving 6 grams
While there is a lack of whole fruit in the Brainiac Kids chews, what these gummies shine at is their addition of nutrients to support brain health, including choline and omega-3 fats derived from fish oil. These gummies are also a good source of vitamin C.
- Primary Ingredients Glucose syrup, cane sugar, water, apple puree, juice concentrate
- Type Gummies
- Calories Per Serving 60
- Added Sugar Per Serving 9 grams
The BEAR Fruit Rolls are fruity goodness all rolled up into chewy strips that are only made with fruit and colored with carrot juice. They're available in a variety of flavors, including a sour version spiked with lemon for a little tartness.
- Primary Ingredients Apples, pears, raspberries, black carrot juice
- Type Roll
- Calories Per Serving 60
- Added Sugar Per Serving 0 grams
The That's It. Mango Blueberry Mini Fruit Bars live up to their name, made with nothing but dried and pressed fruit. They're a great portable snack that is allergen-friendly. There are many flavors available, all with two to three grams of fiber per serving.
- Primary Ingredients Apple, blueberries
- Type Mini bar
- Calories Per Serving 60
- Added Sugar Per Serving 0 grams
Made with organic ingredients, Annie's Organic Bees, Bugs and Butterflies Fruit-Flavored Snacks have a super soft texture. These easy-to-grab bites are another good option for some quick pre-workout energy.
- Primary Ingredients Rice syrup, sugar, pear juice concentrate, honey
- Type Gummies
- Calories Per Serving 60
- Added Sugar Per Serving 10 grams
A favorite for honey lovers (it's the first ingredient), the BEEUP Honey Fruit Snacks are available in five delicious flavors, including Pink Lemonade, Very Berry and Sour Watermelon. These chews also contain forty percent of the daily value for vitamin C.
- Primary Ingredients Honey, tapioca syrup, sugar, pear puree concentrate
- Type Chews
- Calories Per Serving 70
- Added Sugar Per Serving 11 grams
