When it comes to shopping for snacks for my girls, I’ve become critical of pretty much all the food that fills the middle aisles of the supermarket. Within the past year, I’ve learned so much about the food we eat, and because of that, I’ve become a label snob. I will immediately check the ingredients of a product, followed my the sugar content. If one of the first ingredients is corn syrup, I put it back. If you look in my pantry, you would find very few boxes of non-perishable snack food, because most of our snacks are in the fridge. And if they are boxed food, it’s something like pretzels, goldfish or granola, chex cereal and raisins to make a snack mix. For the most part, the girls’ snacks are cheese sticks, apple slices, grapes, baby carrots/cucumbers/bell peppers + hummus, and/or the aforementioned pantry items. I save the nutty snacks for home-only since they go to a nut-free school. Since I’ve become so picky when it comes to snacks, I’ve passed on food review opportunities, especially if I know there are ingredients that I just don’t want to feed my family. I was intrigued when Perky Fruit Bodies appeared in my inbox and had to give them a try. The name alone was enough to get my attention.

Perky Fruit Bodies are superfood fruit roll-ups that actually taste like real fruit and are not like the artificially-flavored kind you would find in the snack aisle. The product was developed and launched by the Father-Sons team of CEO Gil Cohen, and his teenage sons R.J. and Tal. After making his own transition to a healthier lifestyle, and following that with a certification in plant-based nutrition and teaching opportunities on health and wellness, Gil developed the idea for the roll-ups for his son’s basketball tournaments. He wanted to make sure he was able to sustain his energy and endurance throughout without a lot of sugar, and thus Perky Fruit Bodies was born. After learning more of the back story, I thought these would be the perfect snack before and/or after my girls’ dance class. Here’s more:

“They are made using super premium, 100% organic whole fruits that are full of their original fiber, vitamins and enzymes. In addition to being all natural, gluten free, paleo friendly, non-GMO and vegan, Perky Fruit Bodies roll ups are also raw and dehydrated at less than 115 degrees for several hours so the enzymes and nutrients in the fruits and superfoods can stay “alive” and maintain their nutritional values. Perky Fruit Bodies are made with whole, raw fruits and seeds, such as strawberries, bananas, coconuts and cacao, so they are naturally lower on the glycemic index than nearly every other fruit snack currently available and provide steady energy rather than a sugar spike and crash – ideal for endurance athletes and weekend warriors alike. It’s also perfect for students who need steady energy levels to stay focused throughout their day.”

The 3 flavors that are available and that I taste-tested with the girls are: Cacao Banana Coconut (80 calories, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram protein)  Strawberry Banana (60 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram protein), and Coconut Banana (130 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram protein). New flavors are planned that will include additional superfoods such as chia seeds and incorporate vegetables and plant based protein.

Each box comes with 2 individually packaged roll-ups. Don’t be shocked when you see a brownish looking roll — remember that there are no dyes to make those bright colors of what strawberry, or banana or coconut would look like.

The natural sugars from the fruit and good fats from the coconut and cacao will satisfy your child’s sweet tooth without leading to that inevitable crash that syrupy or artificially-flavored foods usually cause. Perky Fruit Bodies are not just a kid snack either: early adopters of the snack have been athletes, dancers, runners, and other active adults who are looking for a pre/post workout snack.

Since I’ve eliminated a lot of artificial sweeteners from my diet, when I eat food that has been sweetened with aspartame (or something similar), it’s just too strong and fake. But not these. The roll-ups have that natural sweetness and rich taste that fruit does. I liked all of the flavors, but my personal favorite was the Cacao Banana Coconut– I love the hint of chocolate mixed with coconut. The real test would be when the girls had their turn. I Periscoped our taste-test, and since it involved fruity food, they were more than happy to oblige. The both loved the Strawberry Banana & Cacao Banana Coconut, but didn’t care for the Banana Coconut. Chocolate (or Caca0) makes everything better, right?

To learn more about Perky Fruit Bodies, visit http://www.perkyfruitbodies.com.