Do Outshine Popsicles Contain Real Fruit?
Yes, Outshine popsicles do contain real fruit and fruit juice, but they are not just frozen fruit. The ingredients vary slightly depending on the flavor and whether it is a "No Sugar Added" variety. For example, a standard Outshine Strawberry fruit bar lists "strawberries" and "strawberry juice concentrate" as ingredients. This confirms the presence of actual fruit in the product. However, it's crucial to understand the difference between whole fruit, fruit puree, and fruit juice concentrate. While whole fruit offers fiber and more complex nutritional benefits, concentrates are processed versions of fruit with the water and pulp often removed. The use of both purees and concentrates means the bars are not identical to a fresh piece of fruit.
The Role of Juices and Concentrates
Outshine utilizes fruit juices and concentrates to achieve its desired flavor and texture. A fruit juice concentrate is the result of processing fruit to remove the water, leaving a highly concentrated syrup. This ingredient is often used to provide a consistent, intense fruit flavor in a variety of products. While sourced from real fruit, this processing changes the nutritional profile. Some bars may also contain fruit pulp, adding a bit more texture and fiber than products made solely from concentrate. {Link: Clean Eating Kitchen https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/are-outshine-fruit-bars-healthy/}.
Unpacking the Ingredients List
To fully understand what's in an Outshine popsicle, let's break down a typical ingredient list, using the strawberry bar as an example. The list includes strawberries and strawberry juice concentrate, cane sugar, water, citric acid, guar gum and carob bean gum, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), natural flavor, and natural colorants like beet juice and turmeric oleoresin. {Link: Clean Eating Kitchen https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/are-outshine-fruit-bars-healthy/}.
Comparing Outshine to Whole Fruit and Other Frozen Treats
A comparison between Outshine popsicles, whole fruit, traditional popsicles, and homemade popsicles highlights differences in primary ingredients, fiber content, added sugars, processing level, nutritional density, and additives. {Link: Clean Eating Kitchen https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/are-outshine-fruit-bars-healthy/}.
Nutritional Considerations and The "Real Fruit" Definition
While Outshine uses real fruit and juice, the final product is not a direct nutritional substitute for fresh fruit. Processing can lead to some nutrient loss, although Vitamin C is often added back. Added sugars in standard bars increase calories compared to whole fruit. Outshine offers a more natural option than many competitors, avoiding high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors. Consumers should evaluate based on full nutritional information. It's a processed food, not a whole fruit replacement.
Potential Health Implications of Additives
Outshine bars are marketed without artificial flavors or colors. However, they contain additives like guar gum and carob bean gum, which are stabilizers and thickeners. Generally recognized as safe, these can cause digestive discomfort in sensitive individuals. "No Sugar Added" versions use sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, which can also cause side effects if consumed excessively. Reading the full ingredients list is crucial for those with dietary sensitivities.
Conclusion: More Than Juice, Less Than Fruit
Outshine popsicles contain genuine fruit and fruit juice, distinguishing them from traditional, artificially flavored popsicles. They avoid many common processed ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors. However, using fruit concentrates and added sugars (in most varieties) means they are not nutritionally equivalent to eating fresh, whole fruit. Stabilizers and thickeners also place them in the processed snack category. {Link: Clean Eating Kitchen https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/are-outshine-fruit-bars-healthy/}.
The Verdict on "Real Fruit"
Outshine popsicles are made with real fruit ingredients, but they are not just real fruit. They are a combination of fruit puree, juice concentrate, water, sweeteners, and stabilizers. This provides a more authentic fruit flavor than many competitors but means they are not a whole food product. {Link: Clean Eating Kitchen https://www.cleaneatingkitchen.com/are-outshine-fruit-bars-healthy/}.
