Polaner's All-Fruit Spreads Provide Fine Flavor Without Sugar or Sugar Substitutes

Most Americans eat too much sugar. Processed foods are often filled with it, usually in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. There are flavorful products on the market, however, that avoid this over-sugaring. Polaner® All Fruit® spreads are an example of such products. All-Fruit® is a line of jam-like preserves which are made only with fruit and concentrated fruit juice for sweetening.

It is important to note that I am not commenting here on Polaner's line of sugar-free spreads, which are sweetened with Splenda. I am writing about their product called All-Fruit® which is made without any newly formulated ingredients or sugar substitutes.

All Fruit® comes in the following flavors: Apricot, Raspberry, Orange Marmalade, Strawberry, Seedless Red Raspberry, Black Cherry, Blueberry, Grape, Peach, Seedless Blackberry, Seedless Strawberry, Pineapple & Boysenberry (http://www.bgfoods.com/polaner/p_allfruit.asp). I have tried them all (with the exception of Pineapple which I have never seen) and have found them to be of the highest quality in terms of flavor. My personal favorite is Boysenberry. Boysenberries are not common and thus it is a delight to have ready access to a spread made from such a hard-to-find, richly flavored berry.

( In case you've never run into a boysenberry, here is an explanation from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-boysenberry.htm): A boysenberry is a type of glossy, large, juicy berry related to the North American blackberry. In addition to being eaten fresh during the brief growing season, boysenberries are also incorporated into jams, preserves, and syrups. Their flavor is somewhat reminiscent of a raspberry, with a more tart undertone, especially when the berries are not fully ripened.

To their credit, the Polaner people also included three seedless All Fruit® choices: seedless strawberry, seedless raspberry and seedless blackberry. Thus, people with diverticulosis and diverticulitis who have to avoid small hard seeds do not have to give up these wonderful berry preserves.

The uses of Polaner® All Fruit® spreads are many. They are great on bread, toast and muffins with butter or nut butters. They are excellent as a flavoring for plain yogurt (avoiding the high sugar content of most commercially flavored yogurts). The apricot, peach, and marmalade flavors also make for a superb glaze for grilling and broiling poultry and meat. Any of these can be mixed with soy sauce for a Teriakyi sauce or marinade.

The grape All Fruit® is a great less-sugary choice for kids who will only eat grape jam or jelly on their peanut butter sandwiches.

Polaner® All Fruit® spreads, which is widely available in the jams and jellies section of supermarkets, are generally no more pricey than other good jams, jellies and preserves.

All Fruit® is slightly lower in calories and in carbohydrates compared with its more highly sweetened counterparts. According to http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/Calorie_Finder.asp?FoodID=19257, the strawberry flavor has of about 41.6 calories and 10.3 grams of carbohydrate per tablespoon (The rest of the flavors vary very slightly in these amounts). The more standard brands average at about 50 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrate (http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-j-m-strawberry-jelly-i95100).

With this truly healthful product, such a small pleasure as eating a good fruit spread on one's morning toast need not be a guilty pleasure.