Product Review: That's It vs. Trader Joe's Fruit Bars

[runpunkrun]

That's It fruit bars are just fruit with nothing added. They're vegan, paleo, kosher, and certified GF. From their FAQ:

All of That's It snacks are made in our own facility, which is free from peanuts, tree nuts (except for coconut), dairy products, eggs, soy, wheat, crustaceans, and fish.

Instead of a tough strip of dried fruit leather, this is a soft fruit bar, a mix of blended and minced fruit. It's tender and flexible with a soft and chewy texture that isn't so super sticky it welds your mouth shut. In fact these barely get stuck in my teeth at all. I like them for a sweet snack or a dessert. Where I shop they're sold individually, usually near the protein bars; though Target sells them in boxes.

In order of subjective deliciousness:

Apple + Mango: My favorite. The mango is so subtle I'm not sure I can really taste it, but it's tender and I like the overall effect.

Apple + Strawberries: Taste like strawberries! Tastes like an old school fruit roll-up, only thick and flat, and not as sweet, and with apple chunks.

Apple + Cherries: Pleasant, but I can't really taste the cherries. Not as tart as I anticipated, either. Mostly it just tastes sweet.

Apple + Pear: Gritty like a pear. Has the slightest hint of pear flavor.

Apple + Blueberries: Maybe a little drier than the others; no real sign of the blueberries outside of their crunchy little seeds.

Apple + Banana: Tastes strongly of ripe banana, almost cloyingly so, but also—if you're into that—exactly like banana bread without the bread.

Apple + Apricots: Tastes like fermented apricot, had to choke it down. Really sticky in the teeth, and had a pit fragment in it for extra joy. I hope this bar was a fluke because somehow I have two more.

That's It bars also come in several more flavors, some with coconut.

Trader Joe's makes a version of these bars that's also vegan and labeled Gluten Free, but the quality can be variable, with one bar being better (more tender and flavorful) than the next. They come in four flavors, and while I enjoy the Apple + Strawberry, the Apple + Mango is consistently inferior to the That's It bar. TJ's also has Apple + Coconut, and Apple + Banana.

Comments

another comparison??

[harmonic_tabby]

These sound interesting. I'm wondering how they compare to a Lara Bar, which as I remember were date based, dense and chewy but not 'terribly' sweet which was nice.

Lately I've been eating Clif Bars which have an oat base. I have assumed since all the flavors you've named are 'apple+' that apple is the base for these bars.

Tabs

Re: another comparison??

[runpunkrun]

The Larabars I eat have nuts and sometimes dried fruit in them, held together with a date base, so the Larabar has more protein and is also less sweet. I'm currently eating my way through all the flavors I can eat, and I'm working on a post for that too. :D

The majority of the That's It bars are apple based, but they have a line of probiotic bars that seem to be made from just a single fruit.