SUGAR–FREE chocolate sounds like the solution we’ve all been waiting for – but do they hit the sweet spot?
Brands including Mars and Cadbury claim they have created low-sugar and low-calorie versions of some of our favourite confectionery – the latest being Starburst, out last week.
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Chocoholic Hayley Minn tested the “healthy” versions against the originals, comparing them on price, taste, calories and size.
Galaxy (original) (£1.65 for 4, 42g)
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Galaxy Triple Treat (£1.75 for 4, 32g)
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I’M a big fan of Galaxy and would go as far to say it’s actually better than Dairy Milk.
So the thought of a healthy version was very exciting.
However, this fruit bar – made up of dates, raisins, peanut butter and chocolate – lacked the rich taste of the original.
Essentially a chewy fruit bar.
Double Decker (£1.59, 74g)
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Cadbury’s Delights (£1.35 for 5, 22g)
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YOU can’t really go wrong with Cadbury’s, and its new lower-calorie Delights range is just as good as you would expect.
The delicious nougat and salted caramel-flavoured snacks are like a Double Deckers – all that’s missing is the crunch.
Bounty (original) (£1.65 for 4,57g)
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Bounty Triple Treat (£1.75 for 4, 32g)
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I’M one of those people that finds eating a Bounty similar to a gross Bushtucker Trial.
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However, if you love the coconut flavour of the original bar, the Triple Treat tastes exactly like it.
It is the perfect replacement if you’re looking to cut calories.
Maryland Cookies (£0.75, 200g)
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The Skinny Cookie Co (£1, 200g)
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THE thought of Maryland Cookies with basically no sugar is eyebrow-raising, to say the least.
Unfortunately, those eyebrows should stay raised, as these Skinny Cookies are no match for the original.
You can tell there’s no sugar in them, as they’re dry, bitter and almost salty.
Snickers (original) (£1.65 for 4, 41.7g)
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Snickers Triple Treat (£1.75 for 4, 32g)
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SNICKERS are all about the peanut flavour, and the Triple Treats are covered in peanuts. Tick.
While the chocolate flavour was still missing, the peanuts masked the fruit in this one, so it was pretty good.
The sugar content is very similar to the original, but you can cut calories.
Percy Pigs (original) (£1.85, 170g)
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Reduced Sugar Percy Pigs (£1.85, 170g)
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IF you like Percy Pigs, stick with the originals.
The reduced sugar version tastes like cardboard, with no flavour whatsoever.
They’re nowhere near as sweet as the sugary ones, and yet they only contain 37 calories less than the originals.
Not worth it.
Mars (original) (£1.65 for 4, 39.4g)
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Mars Triple Treat (£1.75 for 4, 32g)
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MARS is known for its chocolatey, caramel taste.
Unfortunately, none of that really comes through in the Triple Treat, which consists of dates and raisins.
All I could taste was fruit, which wasn’t horrible, but it’s not a replacement for Mars.
Starburst (original) (£0.99, 152g)
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Starburst Fruit Squares (£1, 25g)
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LAUNCHED last week, Starburst Fruit Squares contain no added sugar.
On paper, that sounds very exciting, but if you take 100 grams of both versions, the tiny squares actually contain one gram more sugar than normal Starburst.
And there’s still a lot less flavour in them.
