iStock/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor
Sometimes it seems like having snacks on hand is the most crucial aspect of parenting. But how healthy are those fruit chews?
Those little bags of goodies that don’t need to be refrigerated are said to be made of real fruit and promise 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Seems like a gift from heaven, right? But when you look at the sugar content of various fruit chews — 10 grams, 12 grams, 15 grams — this sugar is a real issue.
Certainly when you read those first three ingredients on the packs of those fruit chews, here’s what you read: corn syrup, sugar, fruit juice.
Another big marketing point on the packaging is that these fruit chews provide 100 percent of a child’s daily vitamin C needs. But a child can get an entire day’s worth of vitamin C from just three to four strawberries.
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