Calorie Bargains are foods, products and services that help you live a healthier life. Here are my latest finds.

E4B ("EASY FOR BUSY")

Flavors are pear/caramel, strawberry/banana, blueberry/raspberry, kiwi and mango.

Why: Of course, having fresh fruit is always the best choice, but this drinkable fruit is an extraordinary product — and it is close to the real thing. E4B is blended fruit in a squeezable pouch — that's it, no additives, no cream and no preservatives.

Health bonus: It's rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber: It's not strained, so all the fiber is still in there. For instance, the blueberry/raspberry has 3 grams per serving and is made with 110 blueberries, six raspberries, some banana and apples.

What we liked best: The flavors are amazing, and the NASA-designed packaging is fantastic. My favorite is the pear/caramel.

What we liked least: They're made with apple and other juice concentrates, which isn't terrible but does naturally increase the sugar content.

What it replaces: A candy bar, doughnut, muffin, ice cream.

Cost: One case with 10 units is $29.99 online at www.store.e4b.com.

Nutritional information: Pear/caramel, serving size 4 ounces or 1/3 container — 70 calories, no fat calories, no saturated fat or trans fat, no cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 18 g total carbs, 1 g dietary fiber, 16 g sugars, no protein.

Ingredients: Pear/caramel: apples, pears, bananas, apple juice concentrate, natural flavor: vanilla, pear, caramel.

POPCHIPS ORIGINAL POTATO CHIPS

Flavors are original, barbecue and Parmesan garlic potato chips; sea salt, hint of butter, cheddar, and salsa corn chips; and sea salt, and wasabi rice chips.

Why: These crispy chips taste good, and at 120 calories per ounce they're lower in calories than regular chips, which have 150 to 160 calories per ounce. Popchips are not baked; they're made by applying heat and pressure (no oil).

Health bonus: They have 1 gram of fiber per ounce and are flavored with heart-healthy safflower or canola oil and have no trans or saturated fat.

What we liked best: You get about 22 chips for 120 calories, almost double the number of fried or baked chips you'd get for the same number of calories. The company also makes popped corn, potato and rice chips. Our tasters liked the original potato Popchips best.

What we liked least: They're still 120 calories per ounce, and they're addictive.

What it replaces: Regular or baked chips or pretzels.

Cost: $2.50 per bag, or about $30 for a case of 12, 3.25-ounce bags at www.popchips.com. (Also at some Safeway stores and on www.Amazon.com.)

Nutritional information: Original potato chips, serving size: 1 ounce (about 22 chips) — 120 calories, 4.5 g total fat, no saturated fat or trans fat, no cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 20 g total carbs, 1 g dietary fiber, no sugars, 1 g protein.

Ingredients: Potato flour, potato starch, safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, rice flour, sea salt, soy lecithin.

BROTHERS ALL-NATURAL FREEZE-DRIED FRUIT CRISPS

Flavors are banana, Fuji apple, Asian pear, pineapple, strawberry-banana and strawberry.

Why: They're lower in calories than dried fruits, have no added sugar, no preservatives and taste great. The Fuji apple and Asian pear crisps are about 40 calories per bag.

Health bonus: Two grams of fiber per bag. Plus, you get all the great health benefits of fruit (e.g., antioxidants).

What we liked best: The portion-controlled bags, and that there are absolutely no additives, preservatives or added sugar.

What we liked least: They go fast, so just make sure to eat only one bag. And if you leave an opened bag unfinished, they get soggy.

What it replaces: potato chips, pretzels, candy.

Cost: About 99 cents per bag (24 for $19.99 plus shipping) at www.brothersallnatural.com, 585-343-3007; also at some Costco and Whole Foods stores.

Nutritional information: Fuji apple serving — 39 calories, no fat or cholesterol, no sodium, 9 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugars, no protein.

Ingredients: Fuji apples.

GLAD SIMPLYCOOKING AND ZIPLOC'S ZIP'N STEAM MICROWAVE COOKING BAGS

The Ziplocs come in medium (2 go 3 servings) and large (3 to 5 servings). Glad bags come in one size.

Why: You can make great healthy food fast. Basically you dump your vegetables into the bag, seal it, toss it in the microwave, and three minutes later you have crisp-yet-tender steamed vegetables without adding water or dirtying a single pot! You can make real meals, too. Both companies offer recipes on their Web sites.

Health bonus: One of the biggest excuses for not cooking healthy meals is time. Now you can whip up a healthy meal quickly, and reap all the benefits of using little or no oil, fresh vegetables and lean meat or poultry.

What we liked best: The instructions and serving sizes are right on the easy-to-use bags. The bags are leakproof, and there's almost no cleanup.

What we liked least: You can't reuse them. Also, a few of the Ziploc bags popped or came unsealed during use.

What it replaces: Fast food and mushy vegetables.

Cost: Ziploc bags; $2.79 for a pouch of 10 medium bags or seven large bags. Glad Bags come in packages of 10 for $2.99 and are at supermarkets or online at www.ziploc.com/steamerbags and www.glad.com/simplycooking.

Note: Both companies say they do not use polyvinyl chloride, the chemical we're supposed to be concerned about when heating plastic.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.