Are you looking for healthy fruit snacks or fruit snack alternatives for your kids? Here are some recommendations from a Registered Dietitian and mom of 3.
I’ve got another highly requested “best of store-bought” post for you today! Today we’re talking all things fruit snacks. I’m sharing some of my top choices for fruit snacks and fruit snack alternatives and answering some frequently asked questions.
But first, in case you’ve missed any of the other posts in this series, you can check them out below:
Scroll to the bottom for a video of a taste test with my kids and see which fruit snack alternatives were our favorite!
Many believe that Welch’s fruit snacks are a healthy option. However, even though it contains added vitamins, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E, they also contain corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, and gelatin. When it comes to fruit snacks, there are MUCH better and healthier options than Welch.
Best Fruit Snacks Brands
So what are the best fruit snack brands?
Many people reach for the following out of the “traditional fruit snack options” because they have some real fruit juice in them.
- Annie’s Organic Fruit Snacks – These do have some real fruit juice in them and avoid artificial flavors, synthetic colors and high fructose corn syrup. They’re also organic and vegan if that’s important to you. However, the first 3 ingredients are still sugar and they contain 12g of added sugar.
- Black Forest Fruit Snacks – These also contain real fruit juice but the first 2 ingredients are sugar and they have 11g added sugar. But they are organic, have no high fructose corn syrup and don’t use synthetic colors.
- Yum Earth Fruit Snacks – Again, the first couple of ingredients are sugar, they contain 12g of added sugar but there’s no high fructose corn syrup or artificial dyes and they are allergy-friendly, vegan and organic.
Fruit Rolls and Fruit Ropes
There’s just something really fun about being able to unroll your snack! These are some options for fruit rolls and ropes. Most are made with fruit as the first ingredient and no added sugar
These snack bars are fruit-focused and you can cut them into small bite-sized pieces as a fruit snack replacement!
I rounded up several of the options mentioned above that I could find local to me and had my older two kids do a little taste test. Watch it here:
I tried them all with them. Some of them we all agreed were not our favorites like the cosmic carrot chews, solely and rind. Their very favorites are just plain dates and raisins. Chase also likes the flavored and sour raisins and the Bear fruit rolls and I really liked the that’s it bars. The Stretch Island, Simply Organic and Pure Organic Layered were ok and we can see some kids liking them. Lara bars are also worth a try but we did not like the cherry pie flavor.
Are Welch’s Fruit Snacks Healthy?! **Updated 2021**
FAQ
Are fruit snacks healthier than candy?
Are Welch’s fruit snacks full of sugar?
Are Welch’s Fruit Snacks actually made with real fruit?
Is there such thing as a healthy fruit snack?
Are Welch’s fruit snacks healthy?
Welch’s makes 2.25-ounce and 0.9-oz. pouch sizes of the Mixed Fruit category, and a 0.8-oz. pouch size of the Reduced Sugar Mixed Fruit category. The nine varieties are rich in a number of vitamins, and are fat- and gluten-free. Based on nutrition information provided by Welch’s website, the fruit snacks provide essential nutritional value.
What is a good health snack to eat?
Some healthy snacks are mixed nuts, guacamole, Greek yogurt and mixed berries, apple slices with peanut butter, cottage cheese and fruit, celery sticks with cream cheese, kale chips, dark chocolate and almonds.
Are Welch’s fruit snacks deceptive?
Last week, two women filed a class action lawsuit against Welch Foods, the maker of Welch’s Fruit Snacks, for “deceptive practices in misrepresenting the fruit content and the nutritional and health qualities.”
How many calories are in Welch’s fruit snacks?
One serving of Welch’s Fruit Snacks is 45 calories and will give you 230 micrograms of vitamin A, 23 milligrams of vitamin C, and 3.8 milligrams of vitamin E. And these desserts also manage to taste delicious while offering a lot of nutritional value.