Stretch Island Original Fruit Leather, Raspberry, 0.5 Ounce Leathers, 30 Count

Just had to write this review to say that these saved my life while losing a WHOPPING 40 lbs on the HCG 800 calorie 10 grams of fat per day diet. I did not do the 500 cal. Dr. Simeons diet. This was RXd to me by a plastic surgeon that I worked for. I searched for something like this that would be a quick on the go take in my handbag in case of emergency fruit..I grew up on the real fruit rolls by Jovy not found hardly anywhere anymore and nothing like the ones you can buy online here (they are in almost all grocery type stores in the produce section on the west coast). (Joray brand is not the same as the ones I am talking about - Joray ones in my opinion are disgusting!).I ran across these Stretch Island fruit strips in the health food isle of a local grocery store here in Florida and even tho they are so spendy at 60 cents a pc for such a small slender serving I went ahead and bought one of each flavor in desperation.YUM! The apricot is my fave just because the flavor is so fresh and vibrant and strong! I don't eat apricots at all, ever, so this really was a new exciting taste for me other than the boring strawberry or grape. If you are or ever been on the HCG diet you know all to well the quest for new ways to change things up without sabotaging your diet.I did not use these as a replacement for ALL of my fruit servings of course but used these as a to-go life savor and "treat" away from the common grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, rasps, etc. It is not "on the list" for the Dr. S protocol (just because it has pear juice, etc) but like I said I did the real Hcg shots 5 days per week with 3-5 days per week exercise at the gym (20 mins of cardio and 1 full hour of hand weights and lunges put together by a trainer) and was active the whole time I was on the diet (not by choice but I was painting and decorating my new home at the time and had a deadline to meet). And in case you are curious I lost the 40 lbs in about 8 weeks! Went from 144 to 104 and was on the shots for 6 weeks and continued to lose as I transitioned off the shots and continued to eat clean and exercise.I still have my dad mail me the Jovy fruit rolls when I run low because they are also healthy and bring me back to when I was eye level with a shopping cart (if you haven't tried them.....DO!!!! The sour apple and watermelon are AMAZING!!!!!!!!) and I wish soooooooooooooo badly that Amazon had them because the brand they do offer on here are AWFUL - I've tried them and threw them all out.All in all these Stretch Island apricot strips are great...they are best when eaten in smaller bites since they are not soft and chewy but more like a thicker solid yet not dry fruit leather. Hope that makes sense!

Let me just say, these fruit leathers are GREAT! After reading some of the other reviews, I was hesitant about even ordering these due to some people's descriptions... I was half expecting them to be inch and a half thick bricks of tough, tasteless, rubber-like material cleverly packaged as cherry treats... BUT NO! These are fabulous! I'll be it, they are thicker than the typical so-thin-you-can-see-through-them, over processed, fruit-flavored, sugar-laden preservative bombs you'll find in local grocery stores, but they are certainly not tough or inedible. They measure in at just under 1/8 of an inch thick (yes, I actually measured) and are 1/2 ounce in weight.Check out the comparison of Ingredients: These Stretch Island Delicious Fruity Strips have: Apple puree concentrate, Cherry puree concentrate, orange puree concentrate, and natural black cherry flavor. No fat, no sodium, 100 mg's of potassium, 12g carbs, and are only 45 calories per strip. Compared to the ones I used to get from the grocery store, who's ingredients are: fruit concentrates, sugar, glucose, pectin, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, artificial color FD&C Red #40, no fat, 5 mgs sodium, only 55 mg's potassium 18 carbs and come in at 70 calories. Plus the ones at the store did cost just over $1 each, and this brand on Amazon cost me about .56 cents each.Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "All Natural Food Nazi's". I packed one of each type of fruit leather in my lunchbox tonight (and yes, I ate them both lol) and really, they're both good. They're both fruity, they're both tasty snack strips. But when it comes right down to deciding which I'd rather put in my body, or feed my 3 year old nephew when he's at my house and seeking a sweet treat, I'd rather go the route with no added sugars, acids, preservatives and dyes.I'll definitely be ordering more of these soon! Sure wish I'd packed another one with my lunch tonight..............

Unfortunately these are no longer available in this form. The company was bought out, and the new version of these are nowhere near as good!

I discovered Stretch Island Fruit Leather in the grocery store while looking for an alternative to artificially flavored fruit rolls and was pleasantly surprised. They were sold individually, so I purchased one of each flavor available (strawberry, cherry, and raspberry) to sample. Raspberry and cherry turned out to be my two favorites.The strips are thick (think a thin strip of beef jerky) and if they've been sitting out in high temps, a thin sticky film will develop on them--I learned that the hard way--but if kept in the fridge or cool location, this can be avoided. There is some texture to the strips; I like to suck on them rather than bite and chew because it feels like a little tongue massage, but they are chewy. As for the flavor, it's tangy with a hint of sweetness.It reminds me of the fruit strips I used to make in my dehydrator, except with a bit more thickness and moisture. Basically, if you're searching for something ultra sweet or don't have a fondness for tangy/sour flavors, then this fruit leather may not be for you.

These are so yummy. I also love that they are a healthy snack. And I love how easy it is to eat them. I like them so much better than fruit roll ups from another branch, because those are harder to eat than this fruit leather. And the fruit leather is so delicious. It will always be my go to.