Dole’s Banana Dippers Look Promising

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the biggest fan of many of the snacks being made today. Just yesterday I saw a bag of Ruffles Flame Grilled Steak-flavored potato chips (reviewed by JFG here). Regardless of what they taste like, this is clearly another highly-engineered product designed to satisfy a need that does not exist. In light of such products, I was surprised to hear of a new snack that certainly has more potential.

Dole – the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world – recently launched a product called Banana Dippers, which is sliced bananas covered in dark chocolate and then frozen. I want to be skeptical about this item, based on the evils of most multinational food companies, but this is an idea that sounds good to me (and possibly Michael Bluth). After all, fruit is very good for you, and dark chocolate is mostly good for you.

While this product does not seem to be in any stores yet – the “where to buy” page on the Dole site does not list availability in any major markets – I am hopeful that it will appear soon. The nutritional info on the item’s page looks promising – reasonably low in fat, high in fiber, potassium, and other minerals, and low in sodium. Yet, interestingly, the ingredient list is not included with the product, so I can only go so far with my optimism. (Anyone that has recently read the back label on a packaged good knows what I mean.) Here is where I hedge my bets.

But on National Chocolate Day, of all days, how can I turn this idea down? They certainly seem worth a try once they hit grocery stores.

[Incidentally – if you think Dole is going to continue to push the envelope with healthy snacks and lifestyle choices, all you have to do is go to the Articles page on their site, and note that the top three articles (A, B, C) are all from 2002 – yes, 11 years ago.  How’s that for perspective?]