Have you ever tried to cut a mango? What about dehydrate fruit? If neither of those interest you but you like the convenience and taste of dried mango, prepackaged options exist.
As a household we eat fresh mango regularly. As far as how we eat it, you name it, we’ve tried it.
- Fresh mango cut up with breakfast
- Frozen mango chunks in our smoothies
- Frozen mango chunks straight out of the freezer
- Dried mangoes as a great grab and go snack.
No matter how many times I try to cut a fresh mango I find myself struggling to remove all the fruit from the peel and the kernel (or mango pit as most people know it). Its for this reason that mangoes and I have a love hate relationship. But, it’s one that I’m willing to fight for.
But regardless of my frustrations when it comes to peeling and cutting fresh mango there are reasons that I prefer dried mango over its fresh and frozen physical counterparts.
Why We Love Costco Dried Mango
We feel good about grabbing dried mangoes instead of a bag of chips or cookies. We’re a family that’s always active and on the go. Hiking and fishing when it’s warm, skiing in the winter and all-around sports throughout the year. Not to mention, commuting back and forth to work.
Each of these presents a challenge to maintain a healthy balance between good food and bad. A busy lifestyle makes it easy to consume unhealthy snacks out of convenience.
When dried mangoes became more commercially available at specialty stores this really got us excited. There was one downside and it was a big one! The price of dried mango at Whole Foods and those specialty health food stores that sell nuts and dried fruit by the pound really made us think twice.
As luck would have it, our local Trader Joes began carrying small 6oz packages of conventional and organic dried mango and while the price was better, it wasn’t good enough.
We had been buying organic dried mango at Trader Joe’s for nearly two years. They come in a 6oz package and cost $4.99. We would buy 3 bags each week and our little mango habit was costing us nearly $60.00 per month. We felt like we needed to quit but to be honest, we were hooked.
Then, as luck would have it, on a trip to Costco as I was walking down one of the aisles to find applesauce I stumbled upon organic dried mangoes in Costco sized 2.5lb bags. I found them right next to the dried figs and dates. And you probably want to know…
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes Vs Kirkland Brand
If you’re looking to save a few bucks and purchase your next bag of dried mangoes in bulk you’ll find two varieties to choose from at Costco. In this section we’ll compare the Kirkland Signature Organic Dried Mangoes with the Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes. In our opinion both products are of the highest quality but there are some distinct differences that we’ll get into to help you choose which the right bag of dried mangoes for you or your family.
Cost (Regular Price):
Organic produce whether its fresh or dried is held to a stricter standard when it comes to growing. This means less pesticide residue in your fruits and vegetables. Each year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) performs a study that rank fruits and vegetables based on the level of pesticides they contain. They name these lists the dirty dozen and clean 15. They recommend that you buy organic if the fruit or vegetable is listed on the dirty dozen. On the flip side if it’s listed on the clean 15, less pesticides were used in the growing of those fruits and vegetables. As luck would have it, Mangoes are clean 15 members for 2023. If you’re willing to opt for conventional mangoes you can save yourself a few bucks per bag.
Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes – $17.49 or $0.44 per oz
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes – $11.99 or $0.34 per oz
Quantity:
The Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes contain 14% more mango by volume than the tropical fields brand.
Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes – 40oz (2.5lbs)
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes – 35oz (2.18lbs)
Added Sugars per serving:
It’s worth noting that the Tropical Fields mangoes contained 8 grams of added sugars while the Kirkland Dried Mangoes contained Zero. However, its equally important to note that even though the Tropical Fields Mangoes contained added sugars, the Total sugars per serving was actually slightly higher in the Kirkland Dried Mangoes.
Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes – 0 grams
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes – 8 grams
Total Sugars per serving:
Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes – 24 grams
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes – 23 grams
Serving Size:
Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes – 40 grams
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes – 42 grams
Ingredients:
In our view, when it comes to ingredients, the fewer the better. With the Kirkland Dried Mangoes you simply get Mangoes which makes us happy.
Kirkland Organic Dried Mangoes – Organic Dried Mangoes
Tropical Fields Dried Mangoes – Mango, Sugar, Citric Acid as an Antioxidant, Sodium Metabisulfite as a preservative.
Tropical Fields Dried Mango Nutrition Facts
How Much Do Costco Dried Mangoes Cost?
You can purchase a 2.5lb bag of Kirkland organic dried mango for the low low price of $17. If that still seems like a lot to spend on a bag of dried fruit you haven’t shopped around much. If you purchased that same portion from Trader Joes, it would cost a whopping $33.33. Nearly double the price of Costco for the equivalent of over 6 1/2 – 6oz bags.
Even better, this bag of dried mango weighed in at 41oz, giving us one more oz than advertised!
Are Costco Dried Mangoes Any Good?
Costco dried mango is fairly consistent when it comes to flavor, texture and chewiness. When it comes to dried mango you want a sweet mango flavor that has a relatively soft texture and a chew that won’t feel like it’ll pull you’re teeth out!
That being said, not all Kirkland bags of dried mango are created equal. Most of the time we’re happy and get exactly what we want but there have been batches where the mangoes are almost overdried and become hard to eat. They almost need rehydrating to make them soft and chewy enough to be able to eat without taking the chance of breaking a tooth.
Don’t let this scare you off though. Follow the below tip to know what to look out for to give yourself higher chances of making sure the bags you come home with contain only soft chewy delicious dried mango slices.
Higher Edukitchen Tip: If the dried mango is shiny, dark and leathery looking chances are its overdried and will be tougher to chew. Look for bags with pieces that are light orange in color and appear squishy.
Do You Have to Refrigerate Costco Dried Mango After Opening?
The biggest advantage of dried mango is its shelf stableness and portability. You do not need to refrigerate it even after it’s been opened. For this reason, we always have a bag of dried mango on us, wherever we go.
Kirkland Organic Dried Mango Nutrition
Costco organic dried mangoes contain ONE ingredient: ORGANIC DRIED MANGOES.
Dried mangoes are a fat free food. They’re also cholesterol free and contain no sodium.
While Costco dried mangoes do not contain any added sugar, they do contain 24g of sugar per serving (1/2 cup or 40g) that is naturally present in the fruit.
In addition, in one serving there are 34g of carbohydrates, 2g of dietary fiber, 1g of protein and 350mg of potassium.
Nutritionally, the dried mango is hard to beat and the reason it’s one of our preferred on-the-go snack options.
Are Dried Mangoes a Healthy Snack?
According to Healthline.com, dried mango is a healthy and convenient snack as long as your mindful of the serving size and consume it in moderation.
It’s a good source of vitamins, including Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Folate. It also contains anti-oxidants which may protect against inflammatory diseases and dietary fiber which can improve gut health.
If you’re mouth is watering from all this talk of dried mangoes and you want to give it a try, here are 3 tips from healthline.com to ensure that you make the most nutritious choice:
- Check the ingredients, avoid dried mangoes that contain added sugars or concentrated fruit juices
- Avoid candied dried mangoes or those with sugar coatings
- Choose packages where mango is the only ingredient
In our house we tend to eat dried mango straight out of the bag. There are many ways to enjoy this sweet and delicious dried fruit and below are our top suggestions.
5 Great Ideas to Get More Dried Mango Into Your Diet.
- Rehydrate with water and blend into your favorite smoothie
- Chop up and sprinkle over a cup of yogurt
- Add dried mango to your trail mix or mix with nuts and/or granola
- Cut up and mix with your morning oatmeal before cooking
- Mix dried mango pieces into your favorite baked good such as muffins or cookies
Is Dried Fruit More Sugar?
Dehydrated fruit is a more concentrated version of fresh fruit. What does this mean exactly? It’s more concentrated in the good vitamins, minerals and fiber but it’s also more concentrated in sugar content.
As a consumer, one thing to be aware of when shopping for dried or dehydrated fruits is whether or not it contains “added sugar”. Sadly, it’s a term that many of us have become familiar with today.
If the dried fruit contains “added sugar” it means that additional sweetener is being added other than what is naturally found in the fruit.
For this reason we stick to dried fruit with no added sugar and when consuming it in this way, it is healthier than most other shelf stable snacks.
Final Thoughts
Thank you Costco and Kirkland! Because of you our mango habit lives on.
If you’re someone that enjoys dried mango but not the hefty price tag that often comes along with it, run don’t walk to Costco!
JUST PLEASE SAVE A FEW BAGS FOR US!
Maintaining a good healthy balance for our family while adhering to a budget sometimes feels like a full time job. If you’re like us and want to be able to eat what you want and not spend every last dollar doing so, I hope this advice is helpful.
