Buy Unsweetened Organic Applesauce

Photo: Laura Flugga / Istock

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With 75% of Americans failing to eat the recommended two cups of fruit a day (along with three cups of vegetables), finding ways to increase your daily intake is smart. When shopping for applesauce and other fruit-based products, look for unsweetened options (or make your own) to avoid loading up on unneeded processed sugars, and excess calories. Fruit, after all, comes packed with its own sugars, but also nutrients and fiber that make it a healthy choice. Remember to read the label, and note that nutritionist Marion Nestle calls "fruit juice concentrate" nothing but sugar by another name.

Because tree fruits like apples also routinely show up on the dirty dozen list of foods with the most pesticide residues, and 82% of conventional applesauce tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has at least one pesticide residue, it's also a food to buy organic whenever you can.

Good Housekeeping last year taste-tested applesauces, including applesauces flavored with cinnamon and berries. The testers commented on each sauce's flavor and texture. Among the organic brands taste-tested were:

• 365 apple sauces (generally well liked; $2.69 for a 24-oz. jar at Whole Foods)
• Eden Organic Apple Sauce (generally well-liked; $3.14 for a 25-oz jar at amazon.com, or $40.50 for a 12-jar case)
• Santa Cruz Organic Apple Sauce (generally not well-liked) and Cinnamon Apple Sauce (mixed reviews; $10 for a 23-oz. jar at amazon.com)
• Vermont Village applesauces (generally not well-liked; $47 for a case of six 24-oz. jars at amazon.com)
• Wild Harvest applesauces (generally well-liked; $2.29 for a 16-oz. jar)

Visit GoodHousekeeping.com for details about each brand and flavor.

Of course, it's also quite simple to make your own applesauce, so consider all your options before settling on a brand for your family. Here are two applesauce recipes to try:

> Apple Cranberry Sauce
> Pear Applesauce

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