If you’re trying a whole-food-only diet like Whole30, fruit is an obvious choice for a snack.  but while fruit crisps, chips, and dried fruit may sound like nutritious snacks, the reality is that some can pack in more sugary calories than a Snickers bar!  In today’s Love it, Like it, Hate it, we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on the best and worst of seemingly healthy fruit snacks!

LOVE IT!

Fresh Fruit | any & all, but especially berries of all types

Frozen Fruit | especially berries + cherries – note: read ingredients to ensure no sugar added

Freeze-dried fruit “chips” | nothing but real fruit and occasional add-ins like cinnamon.

LIKE IT!

Dried fruit, no sugar added

Dense in sugary calories, with 100 calories and as much as 26 grams sugar per quarter-cup serving.  Ideal for those looking to gain weight, who need to squeeze even more calories into their diet.

Fruit Leather | e.g. Stretch Island

Fruit purees & juice concentrates; no sugar added.

HATE IT!

100% fruit juice | all natural, but most still have more calories ounce-for-ounce than a soft drink

Craisins | Extremely calorie dense; added sugar.  130 calories and 26 grams of sugar in every quarter-cup handful.

Banana Chips | Made with added oil and sugar, each half-cup serving packs in 182 sugary calories.

Dried fruit with food dyes | Check labels, you’ll be surprised at how many have artificial food dyes + added sugar.

Nearly all gummy fruit chews | Even those marketed as ‘made with real fruit juice’ since as little as 10% fruit juice.

###

Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD