Product Review: Cherry Essence Prunes by Sunsweet Gold Label

I enjoy snacking on fresh fruit. But I also like to snack on dry fruit in between meals and to add it to my breakfast too. I particularly like the Cherry Essence Prunes from Sunsweet Gold Label. When I came across this product while out shopping, I was drawn to it because it stated on the packaging that it contained cherry essence. As I love the taste of cherries and I am constantly on the lookout for a new snack to try, I decided that this product might just be what I was looking for.

The dried fruit came in an 8oz (227g) bag. It states on the bag that it is naturally and artificially flavoured. It cost $2.35 for a bag of prunes, which is quite reasonable.

I was very impressed with the taste of this product. The cherry essence was strong enough to make my brain think I was snacking on plump cherries! I finished off a portion size with a piece of cheese, to help offset the sweetness of the prunes. A serving size is equal to about 5 prunes. There are 6 servings in each bag. Here is a summary of the nutrition facts:

Calories 100 Calories from fat 0
Total fat 0g
Saturated fat 0g
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 5mg
Potassium 290mg
Total carbohydrate 24g
Dietary fibre 3g
Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 8%
Calcium 2%

This is a good snack option for people who are watching their fat intake, as there is no fat in this product. It also has zero levels of cholesterol and only a very small amount of sodium. The total carbohydrate is rather high at 24g, which may or may not worry you when looking for a new snack option. The sugar content is also high. Even if you just ate one prune, you would be consuming 2.4g of sugar. Sunsweet addresses the concerns that diabetics may have. It states that "dried fruits have fibre along with carbohydrate and can be a good choice in your diabetic meal plan". If you are diabetic, it is up to you to decide whether or not to choose this snack option.