Where I Purchased This Zee Zees Original Applesauce

I did purchase the retail version, which is a 4oz cup. The only difference for schools is that they use a 4.5oz cup.

I found a variety pack online here. I ordered the one that included the dreamscicle flavor, but they sent me this “original” flavor instead, so just beware. They do have a 24-pack of just the original available here.

First Impressions

This is a plain applesauce cup, which Zee Zee’s calls “reduced sugar” because it only contains 3g of added sugar, compared to 7-13 in regular applesauce (and 0g in unsweetened applesauce)

Once I opened it, I immediately noticed the difference in color between the this “original” applesauce and their unsweetened original version.

The photo may not do it justice, but this original version looks darker than its unsweetened sister product. The only difference between the two products is the addition of the sugar, so that must be what is contributing to the darker color.

Zee Zee’s features a character on each of its product packages. These little characters are designed to attract children to the product. While there is certainly evidence that this is effective, at least one study found that it is only effective for healthy foods when the children are familiar with the character.

This product features the character Zecky.

Taste & Texture

I tried this right after eating the unsweetened applesauce, and I did notice a slightly more sweet taste from this applesauce, which was not surprising.

What did surprise me was the fact that it tasted slightly more apple-y than the unsweetened applesauce. Sugar, like salt and fat, has a way of enhancing the flavors of a food, so it makes sense.

The difference between the two flavors is not very significant though. If I hadn’t eaten them back-to-back, I might not have noticed a difference.

The texture of the applesauce is smooth. Kids tend not to like course textures, so this is a good plain applesauce.

Ingredient Highlights

I just have one ingredient I want to highlight on this product, and that’s the sugar.

Sugar

Some of the products on the supermarket shelves, and even some of the foodservice products you find in non-school sizes, contain high fructose corn syrup. Whereas, Zee Zee’s likes to highlight the fact that they use cane sugar in their marketing.

First, I haven’t come across a school-sized applesauce cup (4.5oz) that uses high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Some use artificial sweeteners (which Zee Zee’s doesn’t), but I haven’t seen one that uses HFCS.

Second, sugar is sugar. The difference between cane sugar and HFCS is negligible. The problem is less in the type of sugar that they add, but in the fact that they add it at all.

Apples are already sweet, so is the addition of any more sugar necessary? 

Nutrition Facts

Added Sugar

I really love the new labels that the FDA now requires manufacturers use.

Previously, you were just given “Total Carbohydrate” and “Total Sugars”. Since foods like applesauce can contain naturally occurring sugars, as well as added sugars, there wasn’t a great way of knowing how much of the “Total Sugars” was from added sugars.

Now, the labels have to disclose how much added sugars are in the product. So in this product, of the 15g of Total Sugars, 3g are Added Sugars, meaning 12g are naturally occurring from the apples. Neat right?

Now the 3g of added sugar in this Zee Zee’s product is significantly less than other brands you would find at the grocery store. Some contain as many as 13g of added sugar in a 4oz cup!

But I also want to point out that it’s not common for applesauce cups made for schools to contain added sugars. Most companies only make unsweetened versions in the school size, 4.5oz.

This is part of Zee Zee’s unique product positioning. They’re adding a little sugar to appeal to the ones that aren’t quite ready to go without any added sugar, but they can still market it as “reduced sugar”.

School Uses

Since each 4.5 oz cup credits as a 1/2 cup fruit, this would be an option for the breakfast or lunch program.

Since it’s not at least 3/4 cup, it wouldn’t be a great pick for the afterschool snack program, unless you wanted to serve another 1/4 cup of fruit with it.

This product is commodity processable, so if your state allows you to process apples, USDA code 110149, you could turn commodity apples into applesauce.

Recommendation

I always encourage both individuals and schools to choose an unsweetened applesauce. Apples are already sweet. Therefore, the additional sugar isn’t necessary to make it palatable, unless you’re already accustomed to sweet applesauce.

Since this one only contains 3g of added sugar, it would be a good stepping stone product for those currently buying regular sweetened applesauce to start transitioning to a less sweet fruit option.

Suggested Specifications

For school nutrition programs looking to procure this item, here is a suggested specification:

Applesauce, reduced sugar, plain, 4.5 oz cup

Comparable Products for “or Equal” Consideration

I found no other products on the market that were the plain flavor, in a 4.5oz cup, and had any added sugar. That means if you use the above spec, this product will be the only one that meets that specification.

Additional Descriptors to Consider

If you have no preference for whether your plain applesauce contains 3g or 0g of added sugar, you could remove the “reduced sugar” descriptor, which would qualify any of the plain unsweetened 4.5oz cups to meet your spec.