My Strawberry Addiction Meets Archer Farms Simply Balanced Strawberry Slices

When the girls were toddlers, Kat and I discovered freeze dried strawberries at Trader Joe's.  (It has been long enough that I can't remember who found them first!)  They were the ideal snack at the time: healthy, portable, and easy to eat.  Of course, Kat and I loved them, too, so they quickly became an addiction.  I vividly remember feeling crushed when our local Trader Joe's was out of the strawberries.  Since we dreaded presenting our girls with cupbards devoid of the strawberries, Kat and I would keep each other apprised of which Trader Joe's had the strawberries in stock.

While the days of obsession are gone, freeze dried strawberries are still a staple in my house.  They are tasty, healthy, convenient--and dry.  You see, I hate anything wet in my cereal in the morning.  (Yes, I am one of those people that can eat cereal bone dry.)  These strawberries are the perfect way to add some more nutrition to my cereal in the morning without making it soggy (yuck!).   The one problem---this habit is expensive!  The strawberries cost $3.49 for a 1.2 oz package.  Since we go through about 2 packages a week, this adds up fast.

Recently, I have found a more affordable version at Target, so I thought that I would try it out.  Currently, Target is selling Archer Farms Simply Balanced Strawberry Slices for $2.99 for 1 oz.  Since I have the Red Card, I get another 5% off, making the strawberries $2.84.  Trader Joe's version works out to $2.91 per oz.  So, without the Red Card, they are more cost effective.  However, with the Red Card, Target's version is more cost effective.  Plus, it seems with the Archer Farms strawberries that we are sticking to the two bag a week trend.  Therefore, we are saving money through consuming fewer strawberries.

So, how do Archer Farms' strawberries stack up?  I have found their flavor to be comparable to those at Trader Joe's.  They pack the same crunch as Trader Joe's.  I have found that the slices maybe slightly smaller, but the size doesn't seem to take away from the snack.    I have noticed that Archer Farms does not put a package of silica gel in the bag to keep the strawberries from gaining moisture.  So far, I have not run into a package with moist strawberries.  Yet, even though Trader Joe's does this, I have opened one of their packages where the strawberries had gained some moisture.  (Of course, this could also because this was one of the packages that got shoved to the back of the pantry!)  Overall, I have found the Archer Farms' version to be a great alternative.   Since this convenient snack packs a good dose of Vitamin C without any added sugar, I will definitely be keeping it in my pantry!
 

Disclaimer:  The opinions presented in this review are purely my own.  I did not receive any compensation for this review.