Bear Yo Yos: Mango

Product name: Bear Yo Yos: Mango
Purchase details: Higgidy
Calories: 27 per Yo Yo (54 per pack)
Country of origin: England

This is an unusual review for me since, whilst I always count the number of calories I consume, my evening treats are very rarely healthy in their own right. Recently, though, I was lucky enough to win a picnic prize from Higgidy (see here), and this included a dear little snack called Bear Yo Yos.

I received the mango flavour of this product and was interested to see that it only contained fruit (mango, apple and pear, to be precise) and, therefore, counts as one of your five a day. These fruits are baked and formed into long strips that are rolled up into tight coils.

The brightly coloured paper packet contained two Yo Yos which released a strong and pleasant fruity smell as soon as it was opened.

I was quite surprised by how dark in colour the Yo Yos were. I was initially slightly put off by their almost brown appearance but I did then see it as a positive thing as it reinforced the naturalness of the product. They were also slightly sticky to the touch which was another reminder that they were made of real fruit.

Taste-wise, this product was definitely fruity, and it was nice that I got to enjoy a mango one on a hot Summer’s day (well, evening!), but I did find the flavour didn’t seem to linger, even before each bite had been swallowed.

Texturally, each Yo Yo was easy to bite through, although there was a slight bit of resistance. They also felt strange on the tongue as they seemed to be equally smooth and rough! I can’t say I’ve ever eaten anything quite like them so the nearest comparison I can make is to the bits of dried fruit that can often be found in breakfast cereals.

I did feel like a lot of love and care had gone into the production of these Yo Yos, and a glance at their website (see here), along with the little card included in the packet, further emphasised the attention to detail that I would argue is only possible when there’s a passionate team behind a brand.

I think Yo Yos are a great way to get kids to eat more fruit but I can’t say I have a need for this kind of product in my day-to-day life. For my healthy snacks, I’m more likely to eat a piece of ordinary fruit and, as much as I’d love to say I’d choose this kind of a product over something chocolatey in the evenings, in reality, that’s never going to happen!

Appearance: 6/10
Aroma: 8/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 6/10
Overall score: 6.75/10