Just over a year ago, we reviewed Bare Fruit snacks' All-Natural Apple Chips. They were crunchy, healthy (6-8 grams of fiber per bag) and came in a variety of flavors. They were also relatively tasteless for someone accustomed to salty potato chips, etc. A true snack has to taste good, first and foremost... then we can talk benefits. I agreed to check out Crispy Green's Crispy Fruit (100% freeze-dried apples, asian pears and five other flavors) half-expecting yet another snack "wannabe," that few people would love to actually eat. Not so fast: Crispy Fruit tastes really good.
Let's be honest: If you love, love, love Pringles, Ruffles and all things salty, you may not "fall in love" with freeze-dried slices of fruit at first bite. But give it time. Each .36 ounce bag contains about 40 calories, seven grams of sugar and almost no sodium. In addition, they also have a shelf life of 36 months! Best of all, each pack has only one ingredient in addition to zero additives, cholesterol, fat or preservatives. What you see is literally what you get.
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| Crispy Apples |
As for taste, expect a big surprise. For starters, they're nice and thick (and therefore chewy) with a big jolt of sweetness midway through. You can easily discern which flavor is which. I tried Crispy Apples, Crispy Asian Pears and Crispy Mango... all of which tasted like actual slices of fruit (minus any juiciness, etc.) Keep in mind, all the water from each fruit is removed during the freeze-dried process. Each pack contains the equivalent of ½ cup of whichever fruit.
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| Crispy Asian Pears |
Other flavors in the mix: Banana, Cantaloupe, Pineapple and Tangerine. My favorite? Asian Pears, followed closely by #1 seller Apple (no surprise.) They retail for $1.59 per bag, but you could literally stick a pack in your nightstand, travel bag, etc. and not worry about them "going bad." My only disappointment? Only one gram of fiber per bag, which probably explains why they taste so good. Worried about the end of the world? Buy a case. They're gonna last.
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| Crispy Mango |
You can find Crispy Fruit at your local Giant Food, Harris Teeter, Safeway and Shoppers; or you can order online (click here.) Sign up for Crispy Green's free newsletter and get 10% off your first order. Free shipping is provided for all orders over $75.
