Well Fed Network

Posted by Erika Waz on Kids Cuisine.

My children love fruit leathers and fruit snacks, so when the opportunity came up to try Fruitabu’s line of Organic Smooshed Fruit Flats, we jumped at the chance. Our sample happened to be apricot flavored, and the ingredient list consisted of organic apple puree concentrate, organic apricot puree concentrate, and organic lemon juice concentrate. I was thrilled that there were no additional sugars or preservatives, and carefully divided our sample among the three of us tasting.

Immediately my daughter was leery, she thought it looked strange, and being used to rolled up fruit leathers, I understood her wariness, but encouraged her to give it a taste. Let me just say that three pairs of eyes lit up at the burst of flavor from these tiny nibbles of fruit. There was no doubt that we were eating something made with apricots; it tasted vibrantly of an apricot, and really was quite tasty. Being the practical mom, I also loved the texture of the smooshed fruit. It wasn’t sticky and cloying like fruit leather can be, and I loved that the fruit did not stick to our teeth like traditional fruit leathers do. However, it didn’t take long for my children to decide that they just didn’t care much for the apricot flavor. As my daughter put it “Mom, it tastes too much like raisins.” My son agreed with her, and they both left their portions of smooshed fruit unfinished.

I refused to be daunted by their initial tasting and sought out a few more flavors to try. I love the simplicity of these snacks, and they would be a great addition to a camping trip or a road trip. They’re small enough to fit in a pocket or a small handbag, and with 1/2 cup of real fruit per portion, I could rest easy knowing that my kids aren’t eating junk. A trip to the supermarket brought home both the strawberry and raspberry Fruitabu Flats, and the tasting team was once again assembled. The berry flavors were met with a resounding yes. In fact, both kids scolded me for only picking up one of each flat for them to sample. They tasted simply of strawberries and raspberries- bright, vibrant, and packed with flavor. Fruitabu Flats have been deemed snack-worthy by my tasters, and will make a regular appearance in our household. Available in five flavors, apricot, apple, grape, strawberry and raspberry, there is a flavor for everyone. You can find the fruit flats and other fun products from Fruitabu at their website, Fruitabu.com.