So let’s see how freeze-dried strawberries stack up against a cereal with a similar flavor profile, like Froot Loops. A single 39 gram serving of the traditional cereal (roughly one and one-third cups) contains 2 grams of both protein and fiber, 4.5 milligrams of iron, and 80 micrograms of folate. By contrast, there’s 1 gram of protein, 3 milligrams of iron, and no folate in almost the same amount of freeze-dried strawberries—but a whopping 7 grams of fiber.
There’s also the cost factor, which can be a big barrier to entry for a trend like this, says Harbstreet. Freeze-dried fruit isn’t exactly cheap (one 1.2-ounce bag at Trader Joe’s is almost $3, and that’s a whole serving if you’re attempting to eat it in cereal form). Plus, you might need more than one serving to really feel full from the hack. On the flip side, a box of Froot Loops at Walmart costs less than $4 and contains six servings per box. “I’m certainly not discouraging you from trying to add fruit in any form, but for most people this is probably a cost-prohibitive strategy,” she says.
The takeaway? Don’t write off this trend completely, but don’t expect it to be a filling—or cost-effective—breakfast alternative either. Instead, consider it a snack. Or maybe even better, pick and choose parts of the trends to get the most out of it without breaking the bank, Harbstreet says. For instance: Simply add some freeze-dried fruit to real-deal cereal to get more fiber rather than making it your entire bowl. Or eat it with a high-protein staple like yogurt.
With Harbstreet’s tentative stamp of approval, I decided to try out this trend as a snack, as something sweet after my protein-rich but admittedly fiberless meal. I figured it’d be a good way to help me get a bit more of that essential nutrient.
Audrey Bruno
I’m going to be honest: I don’t normally go for health food trends because they usually don’t taste as good and are only marginally (or not at all) more nutritious. But I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this hack. I combined three kinds of freeze-dried fruit—mango, blueberries, and strawberries—and was surprised at how sweet, crunchy, and delightful it ended up being. All in all, not a far cry from the bowls of sugary cereal I know and love.
One word of advice: Use caution when picking your fruit, because some—like the blueberries—will tint your whole mouth dark purple, like it did to mine. But, as long as you have nowhere to be or any important meetings to attend, dig in with abandon. It’s what your inner child would want.
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