F4F Featured Reviews: Baby D's Product Pick of The Week

We all know how hard it can be to get our toddlers to eat their fruits and veggies. It's often a struggle just to get them to open their mouths long enough to slip by just a single spoonful of anything that could be good for them. So when the real thing is out of the question, we visit the store shelves looking for the next best thing.

So we took our expert, sixteen-month-old Dylan, to the grocery store and let her pick out two comparable products and asked her to do a taste test to see, once and for all, which was the more appealing of the two brands.This "blind" taste test (no blindfold necessary, since she can't yet read) compared the two brands on the criteria of texture, taste, nutrition, ease of use, and presentation. These are the results:

The Better Fruit Snack Taste Test: Mott's Fruitsations vs. Dole Squish'ems.

Mott's- The consistency of applesauce, this unsweetened blend of two fruits (strawberry/kiwi in this case) tasted like a sweeter version of the real thing, utilizing real fruit juice to both enhance the colour and taste. True, our expert complained that she was unable to feed this product to herself (her Daddy had to use a spoon), but she still gave high marks for presentation (perfect serving size), taste (it had the right amount of sweetness), and nutrition (30 percent daily source of vitamin C, 5 percent fibre).



Her score: 4 out of 5 fingers- the ones she was licking when she yanked the bowl from her father's hand and started scooping for herself.

Dole: The consistency of the rudimentary paste used in the film, Robocop, this product looked like a Big Gulp once most of the liquid was removed. It was sweet like the Mott's brand, but it had an aftertaste that was hard for our expert to put her taste buds on. And the flavour left much to be desired- let's just say she was a little confused why "mixed berry" tasted like prunes. However, its soft, easy-to-use squeeze pouch got high marks, allowing young Dylan the freedom to feed herself, and, its nutritious blend of fruit juices and purees provided 100 percent of the daily allowance of Vitamin C (way more than the competition). The problem is she couldn't eat it long enough to consume its nutritional benefits, dropping it on the floor (after the first squeeze), leaving it for the dogs (who wouldn't touch it).

Her Score: 2 out of 5 fingers (thumb and forefinger in L position)

Loving its presentation and ease-of-use, but quickly developing a distaste for its consistency, and flavour, our expert wouldn't even consider the high nutritional benefits of this product, preferring to eat crumbs off the floor instead.

Results:
Declaring Mott's Fruitsations to be the hands-down winner, Delicious D (as she likes to be called) says, although she prefers the real thing (fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and kiwi), she'd eat this tasty treat in a pinch.

Try some on your tentative toddler today!

DELICIOUS "D": OFFICIAL TASTE TESTER

 Disclaimer: All opinions are those of a sixteen-month -old child, and in no way reflect the opinions held by Fodder 4 Fathers, its staff, or any of its affiliates.

Caution: Always read the packaging of all engineered food products to ensure they are age appropriate for you child.