Alternative --Good for you-- Popscicle!

A few months ago, DailyCandy blogged about a new frozen fruit product, Power of Fruit bars. At the same time, ECDC was giving our kids Flav-o-Ice pops.

See below for nutritional information for POWER OF FRUIT (top) and Flav-o-ice (bottom).

Calories are about the same... even sugar content. What's different? Flav-o-ice doesn't have anything else... well, anything else good for you.

Flav-o-Ice ingredient list:

Ingredients:

WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, FRUIT JUICE (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: APPLE, GRAPE OR PEAR JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: CITRIC AND/OR FUMARIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), RED 40, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1 

Power of Fruit? Ingredients are above... FRUIT. And nothing else. So vitamins and minerals and even a smidge of fiber.

I was so excited to try them that I called the company to find a local retailer. Not in DC yet, but the marketing manager sent me a few boxes to sample (with the hopes that I would spread the word on her product).

They are more expensive than Flav-o-ice, and I wasn't successful in getting ECDC to consider making the switch. The suggestion from management was that I made healthier Popsicles for the class myself...
I haven't done that yet.

So, how did the all-fruit version taste? Michael loved them. So did Doug and I. They come in the same sort of packaging as Flav-o-ice (the squeeze up tube). Because they are just mashed fruit their texture is a bit more variable than a traditional ice pop; and has more ice crystals as well. But they are flavorful--like eating frozen fruit.

I don't think they're being widely sold yet.  But, look for them in Whole Foods, you never know!