by Tara Pringle Jefferson

First thing I noticed about Explorer’s Bounty puffed fruit was that if you shook the bag, it sounded like gold coins jingling. “What kind of fruit is this?” I thought. Better be good.

Labeled as “100% Pure Fruit that Crunches,” I got a taste of the banana, pineapple, plantain, banana pineapple, cinnamon banana and cinnamon pineapple varieties.

Out of all the flavors, the pineapple was my favorite, but unfortunately it was a bit too strong for me, as the acidic flavor literally burned my mouth. Yummy but I’ll pass. All of them had a lighter, thinner texture than regular fruit chips you might see in the stores and it felt somewhat “designer” to take them out the pouch and snack on them.

The good? The fruit was organic and had no added sugar. The bad? I could snack on these babies all day without feeling the least bit full or satiated. But for those watching their weight or their sugar intake, these would be a fabulous treat, without the guilt.

Plus, if you’re anything like me, you’re not above telling your kids these are “sweet chips” and letting them eat it, thinking it’s dessert. There’s no shame in that!