Carnival sweetness — Cotton Candy grapes
A couple of weeks ago I spent the weekend with my 10-year-old niece while my sister was working. Our weekend plans took us to southeastern Minnesota to explore the two caves down there. Of course we had to pack some snacks and treats to take along and it may or may not be advantageous to have your aunt be a dietitian when you are 10 years old and into snacking! Nutrition is not on the top of her priority list when it comes to packing snacks, but she has started to pay attention to some of the information on the food labels. She is easily swayed by marketing that is on the label and so often wants to purchase the product that she thinks sounds like a tastier option.
I arrived at their house on Friday night and we were going to get our gear and snacks organized for our weekend adventure. She was eager for me to arrive because she was excited by our prospect of going “caving” and by the grapes she had found in the grocery store for snacking on that were called Cotton Candy grapes! She already likes grapes and so the idea of having grapes that tasted like cotton candy seemed like a no-brainer to her. She was eager for me to give them a try.
I had actually seen these grapes in our local grocery store but had not tried them. I guess I thought that it was more of a gimmick and that a grape was a grape. But when I tasted them, I was surprised at how much like cotton candy they really did taste! The flavor was like pink spun sugar and they were juicy and flavorful.
So, what is that unique cotton candy flavor anyway? The blue version is supposed to taste like raspberry, the yellow is supposed to taste like lemon and the pink puff is supposed to taste like vanilla. But it’s not these artificial flavors that are being introduced into these grapes. It is rather done by plant breeding and by hybridizing two different grape species. The actual grape species used are trade secrets, but the Cotton Candy grape tastes about 10 percent sweeter than regular table grapes, and has very little tartness, which allows them to taste sweeter on the tongue.
The nutritional content of the Cotton Candy grape really isn’t any different than a regular table grape though. A one cup serving of grapes contains about 100 calories, 30 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber. Grapes are low in fat, low in sodium and a source of potassium. The darker red skinned grapes would be better sources of antioxidants. Grapes do make a refreshing and tasty snack, but if you are counting carbs on a diabetic diet or counting calories on a weight reducing diet, be mindful of the portion size! One cup of grapes is often not that many. The size of a grape can vary considerably, so if you have a digital food scale, it might be good to actually weigh out the amount you eat to be sure that you aren’t over-indulging. A one cup serving would be about 150 grams.
My niece and I took along our healthy Cotton Candy grapes, a few granola bars, and some water and headed to Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave. We took three cave tours during the weekend and put on quite a few miles. We bowled a line at the bowling alley and she beat me (but she did have the bumpers on and I didn’t)! We ate ice cream cones and had a great time. Summer is a fun time to eat healthy and exercise. It’s easy to do when the grapes taste like cotton candy and the exercise involves exploring a cave deep underground!
Following is a very simple recipe for Frozen Grapes. This is a tasty and refreshing way to eat grapes in the summer when it’s hot. They taste like popsicles without the sticky mess and are a healthier option! It’s also a great way to preserve your grapes if you buy a big bunch when they are on sale to keep them from going bad in your refrigerator.
Frozen Grapes
1/2 cup grapes
1 Tbsp granulated sugar (or Splenda)
Pick the grapes off the stem and rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water. Put them in a small plastic bag. Add the sugar or Splenda. Roll around to coat them. Seal the bag and put the bag in the freezer for an hour or two. Serve frozen. Keeps well in the freezer for several weeks.
Cheryl Rude is a registered dietitian at Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center.