Fruit Heroes Natural Fruit Bars

I'd much rather feed my children something that I feel is healthier and has nutritional value, than a snack that offers their tiny bodies very little else than energy. I try and ensure they have their 5-a-day, and snacks can be a great way to help reach that number.

We were given the chance to try Fruit Heroes bars. Massively popular in their native Denmark, they're a relatively new launch in the UK.

They're vegetarian and count as a full portion of fruit, are made from only natural ingredients and are raw. There are no preservatives, colourings, added sugar, added salt or Sulphur Dioxide and they are gluten and dairy free. Basically they're just fruit with a tiny amount of vegetable oil (2-3%) and water.

They look amazing, incredibly attractive to both children and adults, and wrapped individually as 20g bars, so they're perfect for lunchboxes and picnics, snack time, day trips and a ton of other uses.There are 4 different varieties - Apple And Raspberry, Strawberry, Blackcurrant and Banana.

All of the bars are flavoured by the fruits included, but actually the bulk of each bar is made from dates - around 80%. This means the texture is chewy and soft, and my 2 little boys weren't very keen on it. The fruit flavours are quite mild, and the taste of the dates is noticeable.

The more I try these bars, the more I like them - especially Blackcurrant. My partner and our 15 year old girl love them, but the little ones have objected. It's a real mixed bag here and I think that has to be because of the datey texture and taste being something unusual and unfamiliar to our family. They are suitable for cooking, and I think I will try baking some into biscuits or muffins when I get a chance - provided there are any left!

I think Fruit Heroes are a really good thing, and the inclusion of dates as a base for the bars makes them a slightly cheaper option without losing any nutrients (you can currently buy 45 bars on Amazon for around £20 delivered). I actually wish I'd introduced softer fruit products to my children a long while ago, as this may be an issue we encounter again.

Fruit Heroes bars are available from Tesco (currently £1.99 for a 5 bar box), Holland & Barrett, One Stop, selected health food stores and Amazon.

We were sent a box of each flavour for review.