Experiments with Dare #REALFRUIT Gummies

“If I can find a gluten-free snack that both of my kids will eat, I will buy them all up!”

That’s what my sister-in law said to me when I told her that I had some new gluten-free snacks from Dare for her kids to try. Of course, I had to twist their arms to get them to help me test candy!

The Product:

Dare Foods recently launched Dare Candy Co. #REALFRUIT Berries and #REALFRUIT Chews, which are made with real fruit juice, natural fruit flavours, no added colours, and contain no gluten, making them a great choice for guilt-free snacking.

#REALFRUIT Berries are also gelatin-free offering a tasty alternative for those looking to avoid animal gelatin in their diet. #REALFRUIT Chews are individually wrapped making them the perfect on-the-go snack.

Best of all, I think, they are Canadian!

The Testers:

The Gluten-Free Children:

“The problem is that my oldest daughter won’t eat the gluten-free snacks. She hates them. It’s hard to find something for both of them to eat.”

My niece Lahrin, 2.5 years old has been gluten intolerant for over a year. I knew she would be the perfect one to help me test these new snacks.

“Wheat?” she asks looking up with her angelic face. She knows she needs to ask before eating anything.

“No wheat,” I said. She smiled from ear to ear with elation!

I gave her the candy and she immediately said, “ONE!” meaning she wanted one more! This went on for the rest of the evening. She was sold.

The real test would be Isla, 4. I gave her the #REALFRUIT gummie and she loved it! She couldn’t tell it was a gluten-free snack, and didn’t care. She just wanted more candy!

I also gave some to my niece Madeline, 2, who started doing the sign language for “more” and saying “more candy, please!”

The kids loved the #REALFRUIT gummies! By far, their favourite was the berry medley, and the least, the chews. But, they were all a big hit!

The Vegan:

When I saw that the #REALFRUIT berries did not contain gelatin, I contacted my vegan friend, Jon, to ask him if he’d like to taste-test some candy. He of course obliged.

Having gone vegan over a year ago, Jon hadn’t had candy in a long time.

“They reminded me of my childhood and Swedish Berries. I give them two thumbs up!” Jon has now found a new snack food!

The boys:

Then, I let my boys loose on the candy. We prepared a science experiment to do with the #REALFRUIT gummies. As a comparison, I bought some no-name gummies.

Ever since they did the nutrition lesson with me using Oasis Juice, they have been really interested in calories. The first thing they did was check the calorie count. They were surprised to see that both packages had 130 calories, however, for the no-name candies, that was for 4 candies, while with the #REALFRUIT, it was for 8! Definitely a healthier choice!

The Experiment:

To learn about the properties of gelatin that holds the candies together, we prepared four solutions: water, salt water, vinegar and water with baking soda.

Before starting, we measured the length of each gummie, and then weighed it on the kitchen scale. We put one of both candies in the solutions and waited. 

After about 8 hours, we checked on the gummies.

We talked about the properties of gelatin. Gelatin absorbs water but does not cause it to dissolve. So the water makes the gummies swell.

This is exactly what happened. Both the #REALFRUIT and no-name gummies expanded and weighed significantly more.

On the other hand, the gummies in the vinegar almost completely broke down. Vinegar breaks down the gelatin.

We also included a #REALFRUIT berry in each of the solutions. Because these gummies contain no gelatin, they remained virtually unchanged (but a bit slimier) in all the solutions.

What a great experiment!

Next time I would try solutions of hot water versus cold water, and alcohol.

The Details:

#REALFRUIT TM Berries

“Soft and chewy bite-sized berries made with real fruit and no artificial colours or flavours”
• Made with real raspberry juice
• No artificial colours or flavours
• Gluten-free
• Gelatin-free
• Peanut-free
• Fat-free
• Saturated fat-free
• Trans fat-free
• Cholesterol-free
• Low sodium

Availability: Major grocery, drug and mass merchandise stores across Canada
Average suggested retail price: $2.49 per bag

#REALFRUIT TM Chews

“Soft and chewy individually wrapped fruit chews made with real fruit juice”
• 5 delicious flavours: strawberry, cherry, raspberry, orange & lemon
• Made with real fruit juice
• No artificial colours or flavours
• Gluten-free
• Easy to open wrappers

Availability: Major grocery, drug and mass merchandise stores across Canada
Average suggested retail price: $2.49 per bag

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