Next time you're packing lunch for your kid or reaching for a healthy afternoon bite, consider this: only three types of packaged fruit snacks -- dried fruit, fruit puree and canned fruit with juice -- meet the latest recommendations for high-nutrition snacks set by federal dietary guidelines, according to food scientists.
Next time you're packing lunch for your kid or reaching for a healthy afternoon bite, consider this: only three types of packaged fruit snacks -- dried fruit, fruit puree and canned fruit with juice -- meet the latest recommendations for high-nutrition snacks set by federal dietary guidelines, according to food scientists.
Conversely, fruit-flavored snacks such as gummies have the lowest nutrient density and fiber content and the highest amount of added sugar. Other fruit snack options with low nutrient density include canned fruit packed in something other than juice, and dried flavored fruit, both of which contain higher amounts of added sugar.
They used the Nutrient Rich Foods Index, which calculates an overall nutrition quality score based on the nutrient profile of foods, to compare the healthfulness of fruit snacks. This model considers nutrients that are desirable -- protein, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin D, calcium, iron -- as well as those that are recommended to be limited in the diet -- saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar and sodium -- to assess the overall nutrient quality of each fruit snack.
In addition, they looked not only at the nutritional value per serving size but also calculated added sugar and fiber content based on the FDA's Reference Amount Customarily Consumed per eating occasion to balance the serving variability among different fruit snack categories. The paper concludes,"Reformulation of fruit snacks is needed… Formed fruit and fruit-based bars could be lower in added sugar to become a more nutritious fruit snack option. Canned fruit and fruit-flavored snacks need more reformulation, as they are low in nutrient density and fiber content and high in added sugar. Improving the nutritional quality of fruit snacks can facilitate smart snacking choices.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
LinkedIn's New AI Chatbot Wants to Help You Find Your Next JobA chatbot interface on LinkedIn tries to speed up job searches by offering advice such as an assessment of how well a job opening matches a person's skills.
Read more »
Disney CEO Confirms Next Star Wars Movie Plans, Hints More Films Yet To Be AnnouncedAll the latest movie news, movie trailers & reviews - and the same for TV, too.
Read more »
With Washington snowpack down, what's going on with the mild winter and what's next?A report from the National Water and Climate Center and the United States Department of Agriculture paints a difficult picture for snowpack in western WA.
Read more »
Jason Meade murder trial paused until next week as more subpoenas issuedThe jury in the Jason Meade trial will not return until Tuesday morning after a series of closed door meetings in courtMeade is the former Franklin County depu
Read more »
SANDAG considers 200 miles of new freeway lanes in next transportation planExpanding the capacity of San Diego County's freeway network would increase driving — and could make it impossible to achieve state and local climate goals.
Read more »
Range Rover security: what Land Rover did nextHow JLR is treating the Land Rover security fears: CAR magazine gets a deep dive on the measures being taken to make Range Rovers safer and harder to steal
Read more »