I do not like the flavor of sweetened applesauce. I didn't like it when I was a kid and I sure don't like it now. I feel like adding sugar to something that is naturally so sweet and flavorful mutes the delicate flavors and makes it bland and flat. You might think I'm being a little overdramatic here, but I take my applesauce very seriously. In my family, we like to make our own, peeling and coring large mounds of handpicked apples and simmering the fruit down in a large pot with cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and a hint of ginger. There were always quart sized bags full of frozen applesauce in the freezers of my childhood refrigerators.
So I was relieved to discover that the new line of Mott's Plus Sauce, designed as a way to give active folks an additional way to bring calcium, fiber and antioxidents into their diet, is unsweetened. As I tasted my way through the packets, I liked the Pomegranate flavor the best, as it was tangy and smooth, without being cloying or overly processed. I had a harder time with the Cranberry Raspberry, mostly because you couldn't detect the extra fiber in it at all and I kept wondering if it was really there. Essentially, my brain got in the way of my enjoyment. The Harvest Apple tasted just like the unsweetened applesauce that my grandmother kept around when I was a kid -- smooth, gentle and terrific with cottage cheese.
Michael Pollan tells us not to eat foods with health claims on them, and while it's true that simply eating an apple is the best way to go, this new line of applesauce from Mott's is tasty, free from nasty additives and so is probably fairly inoccuous.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-26-2008 @ 1:25PM
Unika said...
I packed the pomegranate sauce in my lunch today! Just picked it up last weekend, and I haven't tried it yet, so I'm thankful for the review!
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6-26-2008 @ 1:43PM
Sally said...
Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD, LN believes that you should never, never, never believe the claims on the front of a package. Actually, I think he truly believes that you should never eat food that comes in a package.
I'm all for healthy eating and strive to eat in a healthy way daily, but more and more I'm fed up with all the new healthy foods and/or combinations. More proof, as far as I'm concerned, of the food industry preying on our fears and insecurities.
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