One of the latest health kicks is soft-serve fruit -- frozen fruit that is pureed until it reaches the consistency of soft serve ice cream, but with a fraction of the calories.
Soft serve fruit is "the answer to an ice cream lover's cravings," says Francesca Borgognone, Entertain Editor at The Daily Meal.com. Like frozen yogurt, "it can be sweet, savory as well as an any-time-of-the-day treat." It can be home-made, or consumed in specialty stores.
It has recently becoming a darling of the mommy blog set, showing up on ABC's "Good Morning America," inspiring a new countertop kitchen appliance, even spawning a product line and small chain of shops, similar to ice cream and yogurt shops, the New York City-based Soft Serve Fruit Co.
Chloe Epstein, her husband Jason, and business partner Michael Sloan run the company (soon to be renamed Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co.) together. They have two stores, one on the Upper EastSide and one in Union Square, as well as a seasonal store in Watermill, Long Island, and are carried in several cafes in the region. They're also considering opening a branch "somewhere warm," such as Miami, Atlanta or Los Angeles, and have plans to grow their wholesale business for outlets such as schools and universities.
Epstein expects interest in soft serve fruit to grow along with the general emphasis on eating healthier and more wholesome and natural foods. As for the at-home devices, Epstein says her product has been developed to have a creamier, more frozen yogurt-like texture "that we feel is unique. Nonetheless, eating a frozen banana in a home machine or a blender is a fun way to eat fruit and maintain a healthy diet, always a priority for us!"
