For me, fruit snacks are forever associated with elementary school. Rolled up or in bite-sized pieces, they were a welcome surprise in bagged lunches and a sweet break between bus rides home and long division.
It’s been a minute since I’ve sat in a cafeteria or, if I’m being honest, even a proper table during lunchtime. But I still enjoy a pack of fruity snacks between post-lunch walks and afternoon meetings. These new-school bites have, dare I say, graduated. Noticeably absent from this class (okay, I’m done) of gummies, bars, and crisps is anything artificial (sweeteners and colors). They’re unabashedly fruit-forward and downright delicious.
Roughly the size and shape of Chiclets, I’d trade my cheese stick for these two-ingredient gummies (not gum!) any day of the week — and I LOVE a cheese stick. The mango flavor is pleasantly tangy and the gummies have a soft, chewy texture, but not the kind that easily gets stuck in your teeth.
Buy: Solely Organic Mango Whole Fruit Gummies, $5.49 for 5 bags at Thrive Market
What you see — and taste — is exactly what you get in this bar, which is one apple and 12 strawberries (stems, seeds, and/or pit fragments included!). How refreshing! Its texture reminds me of the circular-shaped fruit leather — you know, the ones you had to un-roll and carefully peel off the thin plastic. Except, here you just tear once and start snacking.
Buy: That’s it Apple and Strawberry Fruit Bars, $18.79 for 12 bars at Thrive Market
Edible lemonade is how I would describe these delightfully sweet-tart bars, which are sweetened with fruit juice and colored with fruit juice concentrates. The raspberry lemonade flavor is total summertime vibes, which are vibes that I’m into year-round.
Buy: Pure Organic Raspberry Lemonade Layered Fruit Bars, $7.99 for 12 bars at Kroger
Yes, carrots are the first ingredient. And yes, carrots are vegetables. But! Like Pure Organic, these chews are sweetened with fruit juice (in this case, two: organic apple and sour cherry juice concentrates), so yes these chews are fruit snacks too. Each dime-sized (and adorably wrinkly) bite has a firm yet chewy burst of slightly sweet sour-cherry flavor. I didn’t taste the carrots and I’m guessing you’d never know … unless, you know.
Buy: Eat the Change Organic Cosmic Sour Cherry Berry Blast Off Carrot Chews, $4.49 for 5 pouches at Thrive Market
Move over, cherries and berries: Coconut is also a fruit and deserves to be represented on the fruit-snack shelves. In this snack, flaky coconut pieces, including, you guessed it, parts of the rind are coated in dark cocoa powder, which is on the bitter side. As a dark chocolate stan (and coconut fan), I very much like the distinctly not-sweet flavor and crispy texture. (I have a bag on these on my desk as I type this!) Bonus: They’re available in single-serve packs too, for on-the-go snacking.
Buy: Rind Dark Cocoa Sea Salt Coconut Crisps, $5.79 for 3.5 ounces at Instacart
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