Exotic Flavors Offer Challenge In Our Fruit Test
Fruit is one thing most Americans definitely don’t get enough of in their diets - certainly not the two to four servings per day recommended by the federal food police.
But you would think that the esteemed members of The Spokesman-Review’s Reader Food Panel would be eminently familiar with fruit, right? So did we, until we fed them fruitflavored drinks and non-fat fruit bar cookies during a recent tasting session.
Almost to the person, they pegged the Fruitopia beverage flavor as cherry. It was actually apple/grape/ pineapple.
Undaunted, they determined that the Bakery Wagon cookies were filled with raspberry. Wrong again: cranberry-apple.
By the time the final, unmistakably strawberry sample of Nabisco cookies came around, they no longer trusted their taste buds. “Guavakiwi?” one offered meekly.
However faulty their fruit sensors, panel members knew what they liked. The Royal Mistic guava-flavored fruit drink (from Joseph Victori Wines) was a slight favorite over the sweeter Fruitopia (from Minute Maid/Coca-Cola), with West End’s kiwi lemon-lime concoction easily bringing up the rear. “I can’t imagine anyone buying this to drink it,” declared Mike Lax.
Among the cookies, Mother’s whole-wheat fig bars were a clear winner over the offerings from Bakery Wagon and Nabisco.
Wait a minute - was that whole wheat, or oat flour? Here’s how our reader food panel rated their fruity treats:
Royal Mistic Raspberry Guava Flavored Beverage
Price: 99 cents for 20 ounces.
Nutrition: 110 calories, no sodium in 8 ounces.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Fruity - if you like guava, you’ll like this. Great for breakfast.” - Stacy Casto.
“Cloudy salmon color, tastes a little like licking scratch-and-sniff stickers.” - Meagan Coffey.
“Not bad, not too sweet. I think all these wine cooler-looking drinks are overpriced.” - Paul Norris.
Fruitopia Real Fruit Beverage
Price: 75 cents for 16 ounces.
Nutrition: 120 calories (10 percent fruit juice), 25 milligrams sodium in 8 ounces.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Fruity and light.” - Jarretta Manning.
“Tastes like cough syrup. Funny aftertaste - too sweet.” - Mary Lou Crouter.
“Pretty sweet; kids would like it. Not for adults.” - Susi Faville.
West End Kiwi Lemon-Lime Soda Brew
Price: 99 cents for 20 ounces.
Nutrition: 90 calories, 10 milligrams sodium in 8 ounces.
Taste: *
Value: **
Comments:”Worse than tasteless. Aftertaste quite unpleasant.” - Mary Aegerter.
“Aftertaste is a killer.” - Jim Eggers.
“Overtones of rocket fuel - a bit like a disguised (barely) medicine.” - Maria Ranniger.
Mother’s Fat-Free Whole Wheat Fig Bars
Price: $2.39 for 14 ounces.
Nutrition: 70 calories, 60 milligrams sodium in 1 cookie.
Taste: ****
Value: ***
Comments: “Moist, chewy, kind of too sweet, but good.” - Jan Robison.
“Looks terrible - strong ginger flavor.” - Mary Lou Crouter.
“Tastes a lot better than they look. I like the spicy crust.” - Susi Faville.
Bakery Wagon Fat-Free Cranberry Apple Cobbler Chewy Fruit Cookies
Price: $2.49 for 13 ounces.
Nutrition: 70 calories, 60 milligrams sodium in 1 cookie.
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “Not crazy about fruitfilled cookies, but the taste was decent and edible for being fat-free.” - Paul Norris.
“Soggy cookie covering, did not taste like cranberries.” - Mike Lax.
“Soggy outside with jam on the inside - shelf life FOREVER! Fossilized and partly crystallized filling.” - Maria Ranniger.
Nabisco Fat-Free Strawberry Newtons Fruit Chewy Cookies
Price: $2.69 for 12 ounces.
Nutrition: 100 calories, 115 milligrams sodium in 2 cookies.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Your typical reliable Newton bar cookie - kids would prefer this strawberry over the fig.” - Stacy Casto.
“Very small in size, but kind of good. I wouldn’t buy it.” - Jarretta Manning.
“Too sweet - artificial tasting.” - Mary Aegerter.
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