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A
Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juicebox Podcast. In every episode of Bolus 4, Jenny Smith and I are going to take a few minutes to talk through how to bolus for a single item of food. Jenny and I are going to follow a little bit of a roadmap called Meal Bolt. Measure the meal, evaluate yourself, add the base units, layer a correction, build the bolus shape, offset the timing, look at the CGM tweak for next time. Having said that, these episodes are going to be very conversational and not incredibly technical. We want you to hear how we think about it, but we also would like you to know that this is kind of the pathway we're considering while we're talking about it. So while you might not hear us say every letter of Meal Bolt in every episode, we. We will be thinking about it while we're talking. If you want to learn more, go to juiceboxpodcast.com Meal Bolt. But for now, we'll find out how to bolus for today's subject. While you're listening, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juice Box Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan or we're becoming bold with insulin. Applesauce. Hold on.
B
I brought a whole bunch of applesauce to Florida.
A
You brought applesauce to Florida?
B
I shouldn't say we brought it to Florida. So we, as I've told you before, we, like, if we're going to be on vacation to save money and just be more economical, especially at parks, which are just expensive. Right. We order in from Amazon, whatever cart or whatever it's called, fresh. And so one of the things we order was applesauce because it's easy for both me in terms of carrying it around, as well as for the boys. They love applesauce.
A
I'm going to guess it wasn't Mott's applesauce, though, which is the one I'm looking at.
B
No, it wasn't. It was an organic, unsweetened.
A
Organic, unsweetened applesauce. You're ruining applesauce, Jenny.
B
Why does it have to be sweetened? It's got natural sugar. It's just like eating an apple that's been pureed. So would you put. Do you put sugar on your bites of apple slices?
A
No.
B
I'm sure there are some people that do. I've got a friend who actually puts sugar on her watermelon. So, you know.
A
Wait, you have a friend who sugars their watermelon? Yeah.
B
Don't ask.
A
Isn't watermelon just sugar?
B
She doesn't have diabetes.
A
Well, obviously not. No. Okay, well, what's your organic applesauce call? Cause we're gonna do one off the shelf. One and one Jenny.
B
One. Yeah, the organic one. I'd have to run upstairs to look.
A
Maybe I can find it. I don't need you running around. Is it thrive?
B
Is it not thrive? It is nature. So if I get it. Well, one, if I get it at like Costco has just a plain applesauce that's organic, which is usually what I get for like lunch boxes and stuff for the boys. But the one that I usually get is. It's a brand name and it's not Mott's. It's like a green. They usually have like the Gogo. I think it's the Gogo brand.
A
Well, I mean, I'm looking at the one from.
B
Yeah, the Gogo Squeeze.
A
Oh, Gogo Squeeze.
B
The Gogo Squeeze. Organic applesauce packets. Yes.
A
Well, I have to say this, that's an awesome name for a product.
B
There you go.
A
Go Squeeze.
B
Yeah. And some of them come with applesauce that has spinach in it or applesauce that's blended with like peaches and kale and. Or cinnamon or, you know, that kind of stuff. So you can kind of be sneaky with your kids and sneak a little bit of extra something in that they don't know is there.
A
Oh, I wouldn't have thought that.
B
But in general, I expect, unless the motto is sweetened that you're looking at, I'd expect similar impact from whatever brand of organic fancy pants apple fats.
A
Fancy pants. Well, I'm going to start with the MOTs. Right.
B
Cool.
A
Okay, so I'm going to measure this meal up. Total fat. None. This, of course, always amuses me because sugar gets stored as fat later. And I love when high sugar things are like, there's no fat in it. Awesome, thanks.
B
But if you eat the whole carton.
A
You'Ll find some eventually. No sodium. That's good that they didn't think to have to put salt into applesauce carbs. Now this is a. It's a pouch. So we're sticking with.
B
Is it like 3 ounce pouch?
A
90 grams. How many ounces is that?
B
Granny grams? I think that's 3ish ounces, if I remember, because I think that's the average size pouch of applesauce is 3 ounces, I think is 90 grams.
A
Okay. Yeah. Because the, the Go go squeeze is 3.1 or no, the Kirkland hold on a second. So, yeah, I'll get to that in a second. Dietary fiber 1 gram. Total sugars 14 grams. Added sugar. Jenny, 7 grams. So yes, they did sugar the apple.
B
So the Motts has added sugar besides the natural apple sugar?
A
Yes, they've got the Mots and they've got 7 grams of sugar. Potassium, 70 milligrams, vitamin C, 9 milligrams. So this is a great one. Right, because this is a grab and go treat, I would imagine for kids. They probably, and they probably don't just grab it, they grab it and they.
B
Like squeeze it down. I mean, it's in it. It's in. Within not even 15 seconds, it's sucked down. Yes.
A
Okay. All right. So. Yes, 3.17 ounces in the pouch. Do you use applesauce for lows?
B
Applesauce? I like furlows. Yeah, I do.
A
Are they on the go or all the time?
B
No, they're more of an on the go. They're things that I like when I had a stroller for children, which was a while ago, they were easy to keep in the zip because they didn't have to be refrigerated. They could sit there for a week or two without getting gross. They don't have unless you've opened it. Right. And then I usually keep it in my backpack if we go biking or something like that because it is an easy thing to use and it's not quite as fast as some of the more fuel like gels and goos and that kind of thing. But again, in exercise, applesauce helps me to catch without a really quick hit. So it's not as quick as dextrose or glucose or candy by far. But if you're just trying to stop a slide down, applesauce can work pretty well.
A
Yeah. You know, I just realized how many things I don't understand because I don't understand why applesauce doesn't need to be refrigerated.
B
The packaged pouches don't have to be refrigerated because of the way that the apples are processed. They're cooked essentially to make them into applesauce. Right, right. And then it's almost like the pouches are a. They're a contained, bacteria free environment until you actually open it. Once opened, then they would have to be refrigerated.
A
I wonder if they pasteurize applesauce.
B
I would guess they probably do. I mean, they're not really canning it like my mom used to when I was little make canned applesauce. She canned Everything. She still does dill pickles. I don't get store bought dill pickles because my mother still makes canned pickles.
A
So your mom grows the cucumbers. This is getting away from applesauce. Grows the cucumbers, brings them in and cans them and then turns them into pickles.
B
Oh, yes. But she doesn't grow most. I mean most of them she buys actually at the farmer's market or she knows farmers around the area. And so she gets the canning pickles.
A
Okay.
B
I mean, my mom doesn't can like two, two jars of pickles.
A
How old is your mom?
B
She's in her 70s.
A
She's in her 70s. All right. I like it. Jenny's mom is pickled and sauerkraut.
B
Oh my God, that's probably good. My mom's sauerkraut. Everybody wants my mom's sauerkraut. It is fantastic.
A
I actually, I love sauerkraut. So anyway, only one in the house. That's not the point, by the way.
B
Only one in the house.
A
Yeah, nobody else will eat it. Also, applesauce is pasteurized. But let's get back to bolusing for this pouch. So here we go.
B
And again, we're bolusing for it in an environment of just eating the applesauce.
A
Just the applesauce. Yeah, but we'll talk about it in a second in another way. But so you measure the meal. We've got 16 carbs. Evaluate yourself. I mean, let's say the kid's getting ready to, I don't know, just running through the house. Right. Like mom hungry. And they grab an applesauce thing. Blood sugar is where it is, 120. We're going to add up the carbs, right?
B
Right.
A
We're going to do our base units, figure out what we need. What if we're 1 to 10? It's 1.6 for the applesauce.
B
Right.
A
And I mean, this one I find interesting because I think of it as a grab and go in this situation. So you're not going to get a pre bullet out of anybody. No one's gonna grab their applesauce pouch and then be like, I'll wait 15 minutes for this. It's just not happening. Right. What do you do, you just pop it in there and hope for the best or would you over bolus it a little bit?
B
Well, you know, the interesting thing is that apples turned into applesauce without sweetener don't actually have a very high glycemic index.
A
Not much of a kick to it.
B
So there's technically not much of a kick. But again, eating it in its own space and not really pre bolusing, you're going to get a little bit of a hit from it compared to having some time for pre bolus, but it's going to be gentle compared to sitting down to. As I said before, like watermelon or pineapple or any of the tropical fruits have a much higher glycemic index. So applesauce, you can probably get away with a little bit less of that concern about a really big, huge spike. And again, if your insulin dose is correct, meaning your ratio is correct, then sure, your blood sugar might go up, but it's going to come back down. It's going to respond pretty quickly. You're not eating anything else with it, so you're going to get an up and a down and an even it out.
A
I think Mott's applesauce, if I'm seeing this correctly, might have high fructose corn syrup in it.
B
I was gonna ask about the added. Cause you said there are added sugars. 7 grams of added sugar.
A
Yeah. They're not very forthcoming on the website.
B
And if that's the case, then this type of applesauce would likely have a faster hit because it's got added sugar, not just natural apple sugar in it.
A
They do have a real apple promise on the website. Oh, yeah, that's nice. But. But they're not going to make it easy for you to find out what's in that applesauce. Hold on a second. That's interesting.
B
That's got to be on the back of the box.
A
Mont's applesauce ingredients. Very rare product, but the classic variety typically includes. Oh, yeah, we're going to have to do the Amazon thing again because their websites. This is pretty common, by the way. I'm finding while we're doing this are.
B
Hard to find the actual.
A
Yeah. On purpose, it seems like. So it really does feel like they don't want you to be able to find too easily what's going on. But Amazon gives you the back of the box usually. There it is. Apples, high fructose corn syrup, Good call. Water, ascorbic acid, vitamin C. Processed under the authority of Mott's llp. Boy. Yeah.
B
It's just the second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Yeah.
A
Yeah. They get right into it. The Kirkland brand that you brought up, the organic one.
B
Yeah.
A
Is the one we. Yeah. Same size, 3.17. Who knew there was an exact amount that squeezable applesauce came In. I can't believe I'm so happy you said that, because I was like, oh, that's crazy. Kirkland puts the thing right. The thing, the nutritional facts right on here. Organic apples, ascorbic acid to protect color. That's it.
B
You know what ascorbic acid is, right?
A
No, it's vitamin C. Oh, yeah, I do know that. Why did I say no? That's ridiculous.
B
You know, like, usually it's actually. I mean, you can do the same thing in terms of protecting the color as well as more of a preservative with just adding, like, lemon juice. A lot of people who can fruits will add lemon juice because it adds an acidic. Ascorbic acid is acidic.
A
I didn't know it did that.
B
So it. Yeah, it adds. Preserves it from turning gross.
A
Well, here's something interesting for you who care. The Mott's applesauce pouch has 90 calories in it. The Kirkland Organic has 45 calories. So you're doubling the calories, doubling the sugar for the most part. There's no.
B
And changing the glycemic impact without adding sugars. Your, again, glycemic index of just applesauce is probably somewhere in the 30s. Yeah, I like maybe 40ish. But with the ones that have added sugars like corn syrup, you're definitely going to get a faster hit because almost. Is it like 50%? Is it 16 total grams in the MOTs?
A
Yeah, well, it's 16 in the MOTs, 10 in the Kirkland. God, this is making me irritated because I just remember growing up, like it was just one of the things that I thought was sweet and healthy. And now I realize it wasn't like.
B
Oh, darn, I thought I was eating apples when I had that Mott.
A
I mean, I was hoping. Total carbs in the Kirkland, 10, no fiber, eight sugars, no added sugar. So this Kirkland's going to hit completely different than the motto.
B
Correct. Okay, so again, from an aspect of getting something that you want some nutrition from without a big hit, you're going to look for the unsweetened applesauce packets rather than the typical motto. And I don't even know if Mott's has an unsweetened one. I don't know. They might. I just know the brands that I typically go for, and that's what is on my list.
A
No sugar. Apple added applesauce. Oh, okay. It lines up with everything, I guess. How would it not line up with everything else? Just freaking apples, so.
B
Right.
A
Yeah. They have a no Mas has a. No sugar added. They do not add any sugar to it. Let's see if I can find it here to see if they've snuck something else into it. Or maybe not. Maybe we're maligning them for no reason. Well, I am. You haven't really said anything cruel.
B
What's that?
A
I said maybe I'm maligning them for no reason. Oh, no sugar added. Applesauce, 50 calories. Yeah, well, the carbs are still a little higher. It's interesting. And it's still hard to find the ingredients.
B
The actual ingredient isn't that interesting.
A
I wonder why they. Oh, here it is.
B
Now everybody is going to be in the applesauce aisle.
A
I hope so.
B
Feverishly looking at the labels. See which one?
A
Apples, water, ascorbic acid. So, okay, so Mott's does it that way, too. And the Go Go squeeze just for people, because we brought it up. 15 total carbs. This has fiber in it, though. 3 grams of fiber, 12 sugars. 12 grams of sugar, no added sugar. So. Also, I like how I love it when they say things that are obvious. Like it's gluten free. I'm like, thanks.
B
Thank you.
A
Like taking credit for stuff that's obvious. You know what I mean?
B
Well, and it used to. They don't. I don't think they do it as much anymore. But even products like this used to say, cholesterol free. Yes, it should be. Cholesterol fee. There was. There was no organ system whatsoever in that apple.
A
You're not putting grease in there. Are you even kosher? Although BPA free. That's interesting for the.
B
Go Go Squeeze for the lining of the product.
A
Spending a little money on the. More money on the package maybe does. Oh, I gotta tell you. Costco. Same thing. BPA free. Wiscap Organic Applesauce, 24 grams.
B
One of the reasons I like the Kirkland is because it's the lowest of any in carbs that I've found on the market at only 10 grams per packet.
A
I'm gonna grab it next time I'm there and try it. Can I just be old for a second and complain about something before we're done? Because we're clearly done with applesauce. Although, wait, before I get old, what about when I put it on a plate the way my mom gave it to me? A pork chop, mashed potatoes and applesauce.
B
Green beans, pork chops and applesauce. Come on. You know the Brady Bunch episode, Don't you know it?
A
I'd tell me that's how we got. It's probably where my mom came up with cheater, right?
B
Pork chops and applesauce.
A
Now, I've got. The potatoes are a tough sell on the digestion. Putting in the protein in there, it's gonna take a little time to break down, and then I'm gonna put this high fructose syrup applesauce on me. And that changes things, right? Like, that's going to give.
B
Yes.
A
Yeah. So just keep that in mind, I guess, like, you guys have been listening to this long enough, you'll be able to figure it out. But, like, keep in mind that there's a world where you probably don't think you're putting sugar on something, and you.
B
Are, and then you might be 100%.
A
Yeah. You wonder later why. Okay, here's my complaint. The Kirkland applesauce.
B
Yes.
A
3.17 ounces. 24 count. $13. I gotta pay $2 for a pouch of applesauce? No, A dot.
B
Wait, no.
A
50 cents.
B
They're not that. Because they're. How many are in the package? 24 in there.
A
Okay. Yeah, I had my number. I was thinking it was $24 for 12 of them, but no. Okay, sorry. Okay, so that's better. I just. I'm starting to get mad about what everything costs, I guess.
B
I know it does. It's very expensive. Thus the reason we do a cart and we have it sent to a hotel room, and we pack our peanut butter sandwiches and we take them into the park or wherever we're traversing on vacation. Because it's expensive, right?
A
Also, I imagine a half an hour after your kids eat, they're not like, hey, where's the bathroom? That cheeseburger is not settling well on me. Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Okay. All right. I'm okay with 50 cents for a squeeze bag of applesauce. That seems reasonable. Thank you. Yay. In each episode of the Bolas 4 series, Jenny Smith and I are going to pick one food and talk through the bolusing for that food. We hope you find it valuable. Generally speaking, we're going to follow a bit of a formula. The meal bulk formula. M, E, A, L, B, O, L, T. You can learn more about it at juiceboxpodcast.com forward/meal-bolt. But here's what it is. Step one. M, measure the meal. E, evaluate yourself A, add the base units. L, layer A, correction B, build the bolus shape. O, offset the timing. L, look at the CGM and T, tweak for next time. In a nutshell, we measure our meal Total carbohydrates, protein, fat, Consider the glycemic index and the glycemic load. And then we evaluate yourself. What's your current blood sugar, how much insulin is on board and what kind of activity are you going to be involved in or not involved in? Do you have any stress, hormones, illness, what's going on with you? Then a we add the base units, your carbs divided by insulin to carb ratio. Just a simple bolus, L layer a correction, right? Do you have to add or subtract insulin based on your current blood sugar? Build the bolus shape. Are we going to give it all up front 100% for a fast digesting meal or is there going to be like a combo or a square wave bolus? Does it have to be extended? Offset the timing? This is about pre bolising. Does it take a couple of minutes this meal or maybe 20 minutes? Are we going to have to again consider combo, square wave boluses and meals? Figure out the timing of that meal and then l look at the cgm. An hour later, was there a fast spike? Three hours later, was there a delayed rise? Five hours later, is there any lingering effect from fat and protein? Tweak, tweak for next time. T what did you eat? How much insulin and when? What did your blood sugar curve look like? What would you do next time? This is what we're going to talk about in every episode of Bolus 4. Measure the meal, evaluate yourself, add the base units, layer a correction, build the bolus shape, offset the timing, look at the cgm, tweak for next time. But it's not going to be that confusing and we're not going to ask you to remember all of that stuff. But that's the pathway that Jenny and I are going to use to speak about each bolus. The Juice Box podcast is edited by wrong way recording wrongwayrecording.com if you'd like your podcast to sound as good as mine, check out rob@wrongwayrecording.com.
Episode #1727 Bolus 4 – Applesauce
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny Smith
Date: January 3, 2026
This episode of the “Bolus 4” series dives into how to bolus for applesauce, a common snack—especially for kids—while living with type 1 diabetes. Scott and Jenny examine applesauce from multiple angles: sugar content, glycemic impact, ingredient variations, and practical strategies for dosing insulin around this food. The aim is to empower listeners to make confident bolusing decisions using the Meal Bolt method, all in a relaxed, conversational style.
(00:00, 17:52)
Scott introduces the “Meal Bolt” roadmap as their internal process when discussing bolusing for specific foods:
Jenny (03:35):
"So you can kind of be sneaky with your kids and sneak a little bit of extra something in that they don’t know is there."
(04:10–16:02)
Scott (12:29):
"The Mott’s applesauce pouch has 90 calories in it. The Kirkland Organic has 45 calories. So you’re doubling the calories, doubling the sugar for the most part."
(08:18–10:15)
Jenny (09:13):
"Apples turned into applesauce without sweetener don’t actually have a very high glycemic index... you’re going to get a little bit of a hit from it compared to having some time for pre-bolus, but it's going to be gentle."
(16:26–16:51)
Scott (16:34):
"Now, the potatoes are a tough sell on the digestion... protein in there, it’s going to take a little time to break down, and then I’m going to put this high fructose syrup applesauce on me. And that changes things, right?"
Jenny (03:35) — On sneaking in nutrition:
"So you can kind of be sneaky with your kids and sneak a little bit of extra something in that they don’t know is there."
Scott (04:25) — On fat & sugar:
"This, of course, always amuses me because sugar gets stored as fat later. And I love when high sugar things are like, there’s no fat in it. Awesome, thanks."
Jenny (09:13) — On applesauce glycemic index:
"Apples turned into applesauce without sweetener don’t actually have a very high glycemic index."
Scott (12:29) — Comparing brands’ nutrition:
"The Mott’s applesauce pouch has 90 calories in it. The Kirkland Organic has 45 calories. So you’re doubling the calories, doubling the sugar for the most part."
Scott (15:26) — On food labels:
"I love it when they say things that are obvious. Like it’s gluten free. I’m like, thanks."
Scott (16:34) — Bolusing for applesauce in a mixed meal:
"...then I’m going to put this high fructose syrup applesauce on me. And that changes things, right? Like, that’s going to give—"
Scott and Jenny use this deep dive into applesauce as a framework for how to thoughtfully approach bolusing for any specific food. Their format is accessible—rooted in practical lived experience, label-reading vigilance, and a sense of humor—making it easy for listeners to feel more confident and “bold with insulin.”
For more details and to follow the Meal Bolt method step by step, visit juiceboxpodcast.com/meal-bolt.