Nature Valley Fruit Crisps

I discovered this healthy product almost by accident. It was right next to the granola bars on my grocer's shelf.

What is it?

What are Nature Valley® Fruit Crisps you ask? They are baked pieces of real apples. Each box of Nature Valley® Fruit Crisps comes with five .5 oz pouches of the baked apple pieces. Each pouch is exactly the right size to pack in a lunch box.

There are two varieties of the fruit crisps available: Original Apple flavor and Cinnamon Apple flavor. We've tried and enjoyed both flavors.

A Mixed Experience

This product received mixed reviews at our house. One child absolutely loves them and will eat as many of them as she can get her hands on. The other child has proclaimed that they are "too dry" and refuses to eat them. Whenever I put this product in the lunches the one who dislikes them takes the pouch out of her lunch and gives it to the child who like to eat them.

Personally, I liked the Cinnamon Apple flavored crisps. The taste reminds me of apple pie. I found the Original Apple flavored crisps to be a little on the bland side. Perhaps that's just me, though.

But is it Really Healthy?

Are these apples really good for you? Let's examine the facts.

Since the apple slices are baked instead of fried there is no fat at all in this product. Cholesterol, that notorious artery-clogging ingredient found in so many of our favorite foods, is also missing from these apple slices.

What else is missing from this product? How about calories? At only 50 calories per .5 oz pouch, this is definitely not a high calorie food. Another missing ingredient is lots and lots of preservatives. A quick glance at the ingredients list reveals that sodium sulfite is the only preservative.

Another health benefit of this product is that a serving provides a gram of dietary fiber. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the USDA dietary guidelines recommend that Americans get more fiber in their diets. This tasty little treat can help.

Cost Factors

Like most people, I want to eat healthy. Also like most people, I don't want to pay an arm and a leg to do it.

How much do the fruit crisps cost? Of course prices vary depending on store sales and what region of the country you live in. What I've found is that the average cost for a package of the baked apples is about $3.00. It's a small price to pay, however, for a healthier future.

Similar Products

This is such a unique product, I couldn't find any other companies that offer baked pieces of apple. The closest I could come to the fruit crisps was dried apples. Some sources of dried fruit include: Just Dried Fruit (www.justdriedfruit.com), Bella Viva Orchards (http://www.bellaviva.com), and Kettle Valley Dried Fruit Company (http://www.kettlevalley.net).