9 February 2010

Dumb Choices Tuesday: Fruit2day

I used to do Dumb Choices Tuesday as a way to express my annoyance at the now-defunct Smart Choices label. But let’s face it: There are still plenty of dumb choices out there!

I saw a commercial for one such choice this morning.

Fruit2day. Ugh. You know that commercial where a woman is eating an apple and it’s SO drippy, and then the phone rings and (tragedy of tragedies) her hands are too juicy to answer it? (Or so we’re led to believe.) The announcer remarks that, “There’s a better way to eat fruit.”

Just… no. There’s not a “better way” to eat fruit. Fruit is delicious and easy-to-eat as is. It’s one of the most portable foods out there in its natural state! Why mess with that?

Also, I was highly skeptical that a processed juice product could offer the same nutrition as real fruit. Turns out, they can’t.

Let’s compare:

Fruit2day strawberry-orange
Calories: 110
Fiber: 1g
Vitamin A: 4% RDV
Vitamin C: 120% RDV
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 4%

Half-cup of real strawberries and half-cup of real orange sections
Calories: 68
Fiber 3.5
Vitamin A: 4%
Vitamin C: 155%
Calcium: 4.5%
Iron: 2%

(For a full write-up and comparison of Fruit2day and real fruit, check out this article.)

So for around 40 fewer calories, we get more nutrition in almost every single category with the real fruit. Fruit2day is also more expensive per serving ($3.79 per two-pack) than actual fruit.

Is Fruit2day the worst juice out there? No, not at all. It’s actually probably one of the best. What makes me mad is that it purports to be a fruit replacer and “so much easier” than eating real fruit. Not the case on either count.

I just hate when food companies dumb down food for us. Kids don’t need to think fruit is hard to eat or that you can get the same nutrition from a fruit juice. Let’s not cut corners when we certainly don’t have to, Fruit2day!

Maybe it’s just me? Any Fruit2day defenders out there?