Big-box discounters, local markets, even all stock pouches of freeze-dried strawberries, apples, pineapple, mango and bananas (among others) for prices ranging from $2.99 (Archer Farms strawberry slices, 1-ounce bag, at Target) to $6.25 (Organic Just Strawberries, 1.2-ounce bag, on ).
Is it a healthy trend?
“There’s a time and a place for freeze-dried fruit,” says Cricket Azima, founder of The Creative Kitchen, a company aimed at promoting healthy eating skills in children. “I don’t think there’s any substitute for fresh fruit.”
A few things to watch for, to ensure your freeze-dried experience is the healthiest possible:
• Watch for add-ons. “When you look at the ingredients, the only thing you should see is ‘fruit,’ ” says Azima. “There’s no reason for sugars or anything else to be added.”
• Check the vitamin content. “Some of the water-soluble vitamins may be lost during the freeze-drying process, so you want to see if it’s been fortified to add them back in.” (Of five brands of various fruits we checked for this story, all five had at least 30 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.)
• Be mindful of portions. Because the water has been stripped from the fruit, your children won’t fill up as quickly as they would eating a whole apple or a handful of fresh strawberries, so they may be tempted to eat two or three recommended serving sizes.
• If you place a high value on buying organic fresh produce, check the fruit’s country of origin and whether it’s organic. “Some parents put a lot of effort and care into choosing organic fresh fruit and then forget to pay attention to that when it’s dried or freeze-dried,” says Azima.
Think of freeze-dried fruit as a sweet, but healthier, substitute where you might be tempted to add sugar: Blended into a trail mix instead of M&Ms, tossed atop cookies instead of sprinkles, baked into muffins instead of chocolate chips, stirred into oatmeal instead of brown sugar.
