We've rounded up the best and worst branded and supermarket own-brand sweets for your diet looking at sugar, calories and diet rating for each bag. Prepare to be amazed by how much sugar is in some of your favourite sweets.
Sometimes we all crave a sugary kick, whether it’s a trip to the cinema and the pic’n’mix is calling, or we’re raiding the kitchen cupboards at 3pm for an afternoon sugar hit. From Percy Pigs and Haribo, to Wine Gums and Skittles, we’re some of the biggest sweetie fans going!
And we all know how difficult it is to say no to the kids when they’re after some sweets! But regularly dipping into a bag of sweets can quickly see the pounds pile on and the dentist bills go through the roof too!
Although sweets obviously contain sugar, some can be laden in calories whilst others aren’t as bad. If you’re on a diet and watching your waistline, wouldn’t it be helpful to know which sweets are the best and which are the worst next time you’re in the supermarket?
From the sweets with a whopping 698 calories per bag, to the treats with a diet-friendly 96 calories per packet, we’ve looked at the calories and sugar in all your sweetie favourites so you know which ones to tuck into, and which to avoid at all costs. Where does your favourite rank?
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Best and worst sweets: No. 19 – Wine gums
Calories: 698 Highest calorie content
Sugar: 122g
Serving: 215g bagDiet rating:
1/10
If you’re going to eat the whole bag, expect to feel tired later on! As with all sweets, wine gums contain a high sugar content that will give you a sudden boost of energy but may leave you feeling tired and lethargic later on.
Goodtoknow tip: Try substituting these for a healthier fruit gummy sweet instead, or better still, snack on a banana
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Best and worst sweets: No. 18 – Percy Pigs (170g bag)
Calories: 569
Sugar: 125g Highest sugar content
Serving: per bag
Diet rating:
2/10
They’re one of the nation’s favourites but also one of the most unhealthy. For every Percy Pig you eat, you get 25 calories – eat 10 and you’ve had over half your recommended sugar intake for the whole day.
Goodtoknow tip: Have some caramel in your coffee if you need a sugar fix!
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Best and worst sweets: No. 17 – Haribo starmix
Calories: 550
Sugar: 100g
Serving: per bagDiet rating: 1/10
Ah, the old classic – the ones you and the kids enjoy together. Well, it needs to stay that way! These treats are a nice treat for sharing but they contain a huge amount of sugar and calories. The glucose in these gummy sweets will be stored in your body and, eventually, turn into fat. Stay away from eating a whole packet to yourself!
Goodtoknow tip: Try buying the mini-sized packets of Haribo to help control your sugar cravings
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Best and worst sweets: No. 16 – Tangfastics
Calories: 544
Sugar: 96g
Serving: per bagDiet rating:
1/10
Tangfastics, the not-so-distant relatives of Haribo Starmix, are only marginally better. Still high in calories, these sweets are worse for your teeth because of their sugary coating.
Goodtoknow tip: If you can’t resist, make sure you share the packet with others. Between four, the calories come in at under 200 calories a person
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Best and worst sweets: No. 15 – Colin the Caterpillar
Calories: 510
Sugar: 97.5g
Serving: per bag
Diet rating: 2/10
At over 500 calories a bag, Colin the Caterpillars (marshmallow based) weigh in at around a quarter of your recommended daily allowance of calories! Combined with over 130g of sugar, eating these really aren’t good for your teeth or your waistline.
Goodtoknow tip: Try the fruit gummy version of these – they’re not as calorific!
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Best and worst sweets: No. 14 – Skittles
Calories: 240
Sugar: 44g
Serving: per packet
Diet rating: 3/10
The taste of the rainbow is a sugary one at that! In moderation, Skittles aren’t that bad but careful not to over do it. Too much sugar can lead to diabetes, which can cause some serious complications.
Goodtoknow tip: Steer clear of the sharing bags where the sugar really stacks up!
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Best and worst sweets: No. 13 – Midget Gems
Calories: 340
Sugar: 46g
Serving: 100gDiet rating:
3/10
These Midget Gems are smaller than wine gums but their tougher texture is more likely to get caught between your teeth. Typically, your teeth are under attack for the next 45 minutes after eating something sugary.
Goodtoknow tip: Limit yourself to just one sugary snack a day (at the most) to help keep your teeth in good shape.
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Best and worst sweets: No. 12 – White chocolate mice
Calories: 270
Sugar: 30g
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating:
4/10
They might look cute and innocent but these mice carry a whopping 27 calories each. Did you know that just ten of these is equal to 3 tablespoons of hummus, 2 whole carrots, 1 orange and an apple?
Goodtoknow tip: Eat one sweet to satisfy your craving then eat fruit to fill you up and keep the urge at bay!
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Best and worst sweets: No. 11 – Liquorice Allsorts
Calories: 230
Sugar: 40g
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating: 4/10
In its purest, herbal form, Liquorice is said to have medicinal properties – like improving your immune system. But, as a processed sweet, that’s not so true! These Liquorice Allsorts are mostly sugar with a massive 40g of sugar in just 10 sweets.
Goodtoknow tip: Buy some natural liquorice from a health store to give your immune system some love!
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Best and worst sweets: No. 10 – Marshmallows
Calories: 225
Sugar: 40g
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating:
4/10
Toasted over a fire, marshmallows can be delicious but don’t let their fluffy texture fool you! These sweet treats have almost double the sugar content of a pack of Starburst and the calorie content of a small meal.
Goodtoknow tip: If you can’t get enough of them, top your hot chocolate with two marshmallows instead of eating 10 on their own
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Best and worst sweets: No. 9 – Cola bottles
Calories: 150
Sugar: N/A
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating:
5/10
The cola bottle is a classic, retro, penny sweet and a staple for any pick ‘n’ mix stand. While these sweets are middle of the range when it comes to calories, they also contain additives which are bad for your health if eaten too often.
Goodtoknow tip: Stay away from fizzy cola bottles which have a higher sugar content because of their sour sugar coating
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Best and worst sweets: No. 8 – Cola cubes
Calories: 140
Sugar: 30g
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating:
6/10
Cola cubes are a crunchy sweet with a fairly low calorie content – not bad. But hard boiled sweets are pretty much pure sugar (sugar water boiled down) which, combined with the crunch, puts your teeth at a higher risk.
Goodtoknow tip: Use these sweets to suck on instead of crunching and only have a couple
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Best and worst sweets: No. 7 – Strawbs
Calories: 139
Sugar: 23g
Serving: 40g servingDiet rating:
6/10
Chewy, sweet strawberries sound great but just because it looks like a fruit unfortunately, this variety doesn’t count towards your five-a-day!
Goodtoknow tip: Eat real strawberries with natural yogurt for a healthier treat
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Best and worst sweets: No. 6 – Blackjacks
Calories: 130
Sugar: N/A
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating:
6/10
Although aniseed is a great herbal remedy Blackjacks don’t actually contain any of it. These flavoured sweets use articificial flavourings along with glucose so, while the calories aren’t too high the rest of what’s inside them will do you no good.
Goodtoknow tip: If you’re craving sugar, try making your own flapjack
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Best and worst sweets: No. 5 – Fruit Pastilles
Calories: 120
Sugar: 20g
Serving: 10 sweetsDiet rating:
7/10
Fruit Pasitlles have been around since 1881 and we think we know why – these sugar coated sweets contain 25% fruit juice, no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and are impossible not to chew!
Goodtoknow tip: Stick to the tubes and leave the big, sharing bags for when you’ve got company
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Best and worst sweets: No. 4 – Starburst
Calories: 181
Sugar: 22g Lowest sugar content
Serving: per packet
Diet rating:
8/10
You might know Starburst by a more familiar name; Opal Fruits. These fruity chews contain apple juice from concentrate and only have 22g of sugar per pack – which is less than a large apple!
Goodtoknow tip: Share the calories with a friend by splitting the pack in half
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Best and worst sweets: No. 3 – Lemon bon bons
Calories: 96 Lowest calorie content
Sugar: 17g
Serving: per small bagDiet rating: 8/10
Unsurprisingly, it’s an old-fashioned, childhood sweet that sits in our top 3. Bon bons (the French word for ‘good’ repeated) are great for a small, sweet treat with only 17g of sugar and under 100 calories!
Goodtoknow tip: Sit back, chew slowly and remember your childhood
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Best and worst sweets: No. 2 – Polos
Calories: 139
Sugar: 32.9g
Serving: per packetDiet rating:
9/10
Coming in at number 2 is our favourite mint, the Polo. You’ll only need a couple of mints to satisfy your craving, so you wont need to eat the whole 32.9g of sugar in one sitting. Even if you do at 139 calories for the whole packet it wont affect your waistline too much… though we wouldn’t advise it for ‘other’ reasons!
Goodtoknow tip: A good treat to keep in the handbag!
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Best and worst sweets: No. 1 – Guzzle Puzzle
Calories: 145
Sugar: 31g
Serving: per packetDiet rating:
10/10
Guzzle puzzle sweets, by The Natural Confectionary Company, are our healthiest sweet snack of the bunch. Their flavourings are entirely natural including orange, cinnamon, lime and raspberry – they even use essences of stinging nettle and spinach. At just 145 calories a pack and only 31g of sugar, you can eat these, as a treat, guilt-free.
Goodtoknow tip: Combine different ‘puzzle pieces’ to make weird flavours for a bit of fun with the kids