Fruit snacks have been very difficult for Ben to do without. Our first year on Feingold this was probably the thing that caused him to go off diet the most (like that horrible Valentine's Day experience). Our problem is that most fruit snacks, while all natural, contain only stage two fruits (Ben can only have them occasionally) or annatto (Ben can't tolerate this at all). Slowly over time we are finding acceptable products and we just limit how much Ben has them.
Here are some of our favorites:
Stretch Island Fruit Co. - Fruit Leather
This product comes in more than a few flavors: Mango Sunrise, Grape, Cherry, Orchard Cherry, Strawberry, Apricot, Apple and more. The kids LOVE these!
This company also makes a natural version of a fruit by the foot, although we haven't tried these yet. I find the fruit leathers at Henry's (now Sprout's), Whole Foods and I've even seen them at Bel Air.
Then there is the Annie's line of Fruit Snacks, in Tropical Treat, Berry Patch or Summer Strawberry. Ben totally loves these, but unfortunately these flavors are either berry (which we're finding he can't tolerate at all) or they have annatto (the natural coloring for "yellow"). If your kiddos aren't as sensitive as mine, I totally recommend this brand as they are very easy to find (Costco, Toys R Us, and any grocery store) and tend to be less expensive then the other all natural options either.
Another option is the Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit Ropes. These boast organic and all natural flavors. We have not tried them yet (again with the berry thing), but I've heard that kids really like them.
I tried making my own gummies once and that didn't work out too well. Now I buy most of our fruit snacks online at http://www.indiecandy.com/ because they actually sell candy that is Feingold Stage 1, as well as many other all natural candy options. The gummies are great and Ben and Lia are both always super excited to have them as a special treat. I order all my candy for holidays from this site. Not only do they offer great products, but they are super helpful in customizing orders for special diet considerations. I highly recommend their site.
Please just promise me you will never allow your child to eat another artificially colored or flavored fruit snack product. Anything with "Fruit" in the title should be a healthy snack, but that is far from reality! Check out the ingredients in that entire aisle of regular fruit snacks next time you are in the grocery store - then go find the natural foods aisle and pick up one of the products above. Your kids will be much healthier for it!
Do you have a type of food you would like to see discussed in Trade It Tuesday? Let me know and I'll be happy to do the research for you!
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