With so many food allergic and special diet kids, school-safe snack lists can feel the squeeze. But a lot of brands are getting innovative with top allergen free foods. PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites are one of the latest unique snacks to cross my path. They’re touted as ‘grape-like’ refrigerated fruit bites made with real fruit puree. Each pouch serving (7 bites), contains a half serving of fruit and just 5 grams of added organic sugar.
PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites are also vegan and free from the top eight food allergens. In fact, they are produced in Incredible Foods’ new allergen-free manufacturing facility in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. And although they are refrigerated, they can be packed along in lunchboxes for the day.
Tasting Notes for PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites
These unique little snacks are the size of a grape, but I’m not sure I would call them “grape like” in taste or texture. They reminded us of fun little gelatin bites, but vegan and gelatin free! Plus, the real fruit puree infusion gives them pure, all-natural flavor.
But I think the consistency could be finicky for some. I liked the unique texture straight from the refrigerator, but Tony only liked them frozen. They don’t freeze solid, so you can enjoy them straight from the freezer. This means they can also do double duty in lunch boxes! You can freeze them like snackable little cold packs. They actually taste just as fresh when defrosted.
Strawberry Banana
Thanks to the banana, this was the sweetest and least tart of the bunch. It has a nice underlying banana flavor with hints of strawberry.
Ingredients – strawberry puree, banana puree, organic cane sugar, water, chicory root fiber, oat fiber, orange pulp, citric acid, carob bean gum, natural flavors, agar, algin, pectin, carnauba wax, chitosan (plant-based, not shellfish), ascorbic acid, tomato lycopene color.
Mixed Berry
This might be my favorite. It does taste like a delicious melange of berries with a nice natural sweetness.
Ingredients – strawberry puree concentrate, blueberry puree concentrate, organic cane sugar, water, orange pulp, cherry puree concentrate, chicory root fiber, oat fiber, natural flavors, carob bean gum, agar, algin, citric acid, pectin, carnauba wax, chitosan (plant-based, not shellfish), concentrate (carrot and cranberry), ascorbic acid.
Pineapple Mango
I couldn’t taste test this one, but Tony confirmed that it has that nice, tropical, sweet-tart blend of pineapple and mango.
Ingredients – pineapple puree concentrate, mango puree concentrate, water, organic cane sugar, orange pulp, chicory root fiber, oat fiber, citric acid, carob bean gum, agar, natural flavors, concentrate (pumpkin and apple), algin, pectin, carnauba wax, chitosan (plant-based, not shellfish), ascorbic acid.
Raspberry Pomegranate
Just like raspberries and pomegranate, this flavor has a fresh sweetness with a good dose of pucker. It’s a great sweet-tart contrast.
Ingredients – raspberry puree, banana puree, organic cane sugar, water, orange pulp, chicory root fiber, oat fiber, pomegranate juice concentrate, citric acid, carob bean gum, agar, natural flavors, algin, pectin, concentrate (chokeberry, elderberry, apple, blackcurrant and blueberry), carnauba wax, chitosan (plant-based, not shellfish), ascorbic acid, tomato lycopene color.
The Facts on PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites
Price:$3.99 per five-pouch (.7-ounce each) package
Availability: PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites were initially launched at select New England Market Baskets in the U.S., but will be rolling out in grocers nationwide. They are sold refrigerated in the produce section near the pre-cut fruit. they are ramping up into more stores in the near future. See their website below for a store locator, or head to Instacart to order.
Certifications: We did not notice any certifications on PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites packaging, but according to the company, they are Certified Vegan, Certified Gluten Free, and Non-GMO Verified.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, PerfectlyFree Fruit Bites are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. Nonetheless, check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Processes and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company / product.
For More Product Information: Visit the PerfectlyFree website at www.perfectlyfree.com.
