Is Outshine Healthier Than Popsicle? 12g Sugar vs Aspartame

The Outshine Strawberry Fruit Ice Bar lists 12 g of added sugar per 1-bar serving (24% of the Daily Value), while the Popsicle Orange Cherry Grape sugar-free pop lists 0 g added sugar per 3-pop serving of 140 g and uses aspartame and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners. The two labels differ on calories, sweeteners, gums, colors, and warnings, and the sections below set each item side by side.

Key takeaways:

• Outshine Strawberry bar, per 1-bar serving: 60 calories, 14 g total sugar, 12 g added sugar (24% DV).
• Popsicle Orange Cherry Grape sugar-free, per 3-pop serving (140 g): 40 calories, 0 g sugars, 0 g added sugars. The figures come from the product's Open Food Facts record.
• The Popsicle sweeteners are aspartame and acesulfame potassium, which sit in the less than 2% group of the ingredient list. FDA says people with phenylketonuria should avoid or restrict aspartame.
• Both labels list guar gum. Outshine also lists carob bean gum, and Popsicle lists locust bean gum, which is the same ingredient under another name.
• Outshine lists beet juice and turmeric oleoresin colors. The current Popsicle record lists beet, vegetable, turmeric, and annatto colors, but the color list for the box in hand was not confirmed, so check the current package for specific certified dyes. An older record listed Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 1.

Outshine vs Popsicle at a Glance: Calories, Sugar, and Serving Sizes Side by Side

The two products are labeled per different serving sizes, so the table compares label figures, not individual pieces.

Label item	Outshine Strawberry Fruit Ice Bar	Popsicle Orange Cherry Grape (sugar-free)
Serving size	1 bar	3 pops (140 g)
Calories	60	40
Total fat	0 g	0 g
Sodium	0 mg	0 mg
Total carbohydrates	15 g (5% DV)	10 g
Total sugars	14 g	0 g
Added sugars	12 g (24% DV)	0 g
Sweeteners in ingredients	Cane sugar	Aspartame, acesulfame potassium (less than 2% group)
Vitamin C	10% DV	Not disclosed in the record used
Potassium	50 mg	Not disclosed in the record used

The Popsicle record gives no Daily Value for carbohydrates in the source used, so the carbohydrate row shows the gram figure only. The Outshine listing does not disclose servings per container or the weight of each bar within the 15 oz box. The Popsicle record gives figures only for 3 pops, so calories or sugar for a single pop are not disclosed and are not calculated here. For more ice cream label comparisons, see 5 Ice Creams Scanned: Five Ingredients vs Twenty.

How Much Added Sugar Is in an Outshine Bar Compared With a Sugar-Free Popsicle?

The Outshine Strawberry bar lists 12 g of added sugar per 1-bar serving, while the sugar-free Popsicle lists 0 g added sugars per 3-pop serving. The FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so the Outshine bar's 12 g equals 24% of that reference.

FDA states that added sugars include “sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices” and do not include “naturally occurring sugars that are found in milk, fruits, and vegetables.” The agency explains the definition on its added sugars page. Outshine's ingredients include cane sugar along with strawberries and strawberry juice from concentrate. The label places 12 g of its 14 g total sugars in the added category, but the split by ingredient source is not disclosed.

The Popsicle record shows 0 g for both total and added sugars. Its ingredients include grape juice concentrate and cherry juice concentrate in the less than 2% group. The FDA quote above covers “sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices,” which is the category those juice concentrates fall into.

Are Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium in Popsicle Orange Cherry Grape Pops Safe?

The FDA says its scientists do not have safety concerns when aspartame is used under the approved conditions, and it says people with phenylketonuria should avoid or restrict aspartame. The Popsicle record lists aspartame and acesulfame potassium in the less than 2% group.

For phenylketonuria, the Popsicle record includes the statement “phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine.” FDA says the ingredient list must include such a statement. The Outshine listing has no phenylalanine statement, and its ingredients do not include aspartame.

Which Gums Are in Outshine and Popsicle Pops, and What Do They Do?

Both products list guar gum. Outshine also lists carob bean gum, while the Popsicle record lists locust bean gum, and the two names refer to the same ingredient.

What Colors Are in Outshine Strawberry Bars and Popsicle Pops?

The Outshine Strawberry listing lists beet juice color and turmeric oleoresin color, and its package says “No artificial colors or flavors” with “Added colors from natural sources,” wording the Outshine brand page also uses. The current Popsicle record lists beet juice, vegetable juice, turmeric oleoresin, and annatto extract as colors. The color list for the box in hand was not confirmed, so check the current Popsicle package before relying on it.

An older Open Food Facts record for Popsicle Sugar Free Orange, Cherry, and Grape (0077567022950, last edited 2020, serving 1 pop of 47 g) lists Red 40 with Yellow 6 for orange, Red 40 for cherry, and Blue 1 for grape. Treat that as an earlier label only. When the change occurred is not disclosed.

Do Outshine and Popsicle Labels Differ in Calories per Serving, and Why?

Yes, the labels differ: Outshine lists 60 calories per 1-bar serving, and Popsicle lists 40 calories per 3-pop serving of 140 g. The serving sizes do not match, so the difference is not a per-piece comparison. Both list 0 g fat and 0 mg sodium.

The labels do not explain the gap. Outshine lists 15 g total carbohydrates, including 14 g total sugars, and its ingredients begin with strawberries, water, and cane sugar. Popsicle lists 10 g carbohydrates and 0 g sugars, and its ingredients begin with water, glycerin, and maltodextrin (corn). An older Popsicle record lists 15 kcal per 1-pop serving of 47 g, but it uses a different serving and cannot be combined with the 3-pop figure. For other frozen dessert calorie comparisons, see Halo Top vs Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean: 90 vs 350 Calories.

Who Should Be Cautious: Phenylketonuria, Young Children, and Milk Allergies?

People with phenylketonuria should look for the phenylalanine statement, and FDA advises them to avoid or restrict aspartame, which appears in the Popsicle record. The Outshine listing warns that young children under 4 have limited chewing ability and could choke on small pieces. It also says the product is manufactured in a facility that processes milk. That statement refers to the facility, not an ingredient.

The Popsicle record excerpt used here includes no milk statement or choking warning, and whether the current package carries them is not disclosed.

How Do You Spot Added Sugar, Sweeteners, Gums, and Colors on These Labels?

Start with the Added Sugars line on the Nutrition Facts panel, then scan the full ingredient list, including the less than 2% group.

• Added Sugars: grams and % Daily Value, listed under Total Sugars. Outshine shows 12 g (24%).
• Sweeteners: names such as cane sugar, aspartame, or acesulfame potassium.
• Gums: guar gum, carob bean gum, or locust bean gum.
• Colors: names such as beet juice, turmeric oleoresin, annatto, or certified dyes such as Red 40.
• Warnings: phenylalanine statements, milk facility statements, and choking warnings for young children.
• Serving size: check it before comparing, since 1 bar and 3 pops are different amounts.

Ingredients in the less than 2% group are present in small amounts, and FDA rules allow them to be listed in any order.