SmartSweets Variety Pack Sampler

I've been cutting for over two years (down just over 100 pounds). One of my biggest weaknesses is fruit flavored (sour or regular) candy and gummies. Sometimes I get so fixated on candy that I fall off of my meal plan and binge candy, and then become extremely hooked on sugar which has its own consequences. I was really excited to find SmartSweets, and wanted to leave a review because I didn't feel the existing reviews were accurate. First, I received all 8 bags; two of each flavor as advertised. Second, I follow an IIFYM style meal plan so I'm not on "Keto" or any other name brand diet; I just balance my macros so I get ALL of my necessary nutrients. With that said, this product meets my needs perfectly. The flavor: The flavor is as realistically close to the taste of normal candy as you can imagine, but with the sticky, gooey, addictive experience of sugar replaced by what I believe is stevia. The texture: As I mentioned in the flavor, the lack of actual sugar takes away that gummy, gooey characteristic of sugar. With that said, it's still chewy and enjoyable to eat. You can keep chewing and it won't disintegrate in seconds, but it's not a piece of rubber like some alternatives. The sour: The sour candies are actually my favorite, and they got the sour coating just right. I forget which one, between the gummy bears and the "sour patch kids", but one has a sweet/sour flavor and the other is more sour. I wish they would make more candies with a more sour flavor as I don't believe the sour ingredients are made up of too many calories if any. Overall, I like the variety and the flavor was satisfying. The serving size: I said it before and I'll say it again; when I get a taste for candy I easily binge bags. With normal candy clocking in at about 300-400 calories per bag, that can ruin a week of progress. With these, I gave in and ate all 8 bags over the course of 3 days. That came to about 640 calories, which was actually not too hard to make up for in the gym. An extra day of cardio and I broke even. The 1-bag serving is nice and is obviously intentional because no one stops at one serving when a bag of skittles has 2.5. I happily ate two bags on a Friday night and didn't feel the need for more which was a nice surprise. Overall: Let's face it; it's not actual candy so don't expect it to be identical. If you're losing your mind over abstaining from any and all candy because you know what it can lead to, these are a great cheat. Even if you do eat them all, there's very little to regret. Even better, the carbs are made of dietary fibers so you may find that they "back you up" if you binge, but you won't be addicted to sugar, requiring you to face those awful withdrawals and cravings. I highly recommend these, and I would love to see the product selection grow!

These are great - even the Swedish Fish, which I don't typically like. The Twizzlers, however, do not taste good at all. :( I am ordering again and getting the Peach Rings alone. They are excellent. I keep trying the Twizzlers to see if it was just a fluke, but no, they do not taste good, no matter when I try them.

It depends on why you are eating them. For keto or diabetes...they are unfortunately too good to be true. Contrary to the information shared by other reviewers, these delicious confections are not keto-friendly and will throw you out of ketosis. Diabetics report a significant spike in blood sugar after eating them. If you are simply trying to generally reduce your sugar intake then you might find these to be a dream come true. They come well-packaged and are cute as a button. The sour varieties are not too tart and the regular gummies were sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Pros: Zero artificial or bitter aftertaste. I would assume they were your average sugar-filled gummy had I not known. Unlike most other sugar-free candy, none of these varieties caused me any gastric distress at all. The fish were my favorite. Each bag is an entire serving, so no counting out how many you can eat! The package sat in my mailbox all day in temps over 100 degrees and though they were warm, they did not melt! Cons: They are not keto-friendly or safe for diabetics. (Apparently it's the tapioca fiber that is the problem). These are quite pricey. If my math is correct, they end up costing approximately 3.25 a pack (I bought the 8-pack) So in summary. If you are trying to stay in ketosis these are probably not for you. If you want to avoid a spike in your blood sugar, you should look elsewhere. But if you are just looking for some low sugar options and are not too concerned with paying a little extra for candy then I highly recommend them!

Taste good

Price is absolutely bonkers for what you get. The bags are TINY. Their texture isn’t great, the candy is pretty hard. Flavors are meh. I definitely expected more for the price point.

I was really looking forward to trying this variety pack, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. The biggest issue was the texture. Most of the candies were much harder than I expected, and the sour varieties weren't particularly sour. Several of the flavors also tasted noticeably different from the traditional versions they are meant to replace. The soft caramels were surprisingly firm and left an aftertaste that I didn't enjoy. That said, I can see why someone looking for lower-sugar candy might want to give these a try. If reducing sugar is important to you, they may satisfy a candy craving without the sugar content of traditional versions. Personally, though, I found other lower-sugar candies to be much closer in taste and texture to the originals. Taste and texture are subjective, so I wouldn't tell someone not to try them. They simply weren't a good match for my preferences. If you're considering them, I'd recommend trying them for yourself rather than buying a large quantity based solely on the description.

I am someone who hates artificial sweeteners, that’s why I don’t drink diet soda or diet candy… If I’m going to have a treat, I usually just have the real thing, but I came across the Smart suites at a grocery store that I go to and I bought a couple of bags and I really liked it. Then I happen to notice they were selling it on Amazon and it came in a variety of different flavors and so I ordered probably a box a week because I’m that addicted to them now they’re really tasty and I don’t know exactly what’s in the products because I desperately need glasses and can’t read the ingredients but whatever they’ve done they’ve made them so tasty that even if they’re made with some artificial sweeteners, they’re amazing. And if I had children, that would definitely be a candy I would be comfortable giving to them. Because also the portions are very controlled and I think that that’s also important. So I’m a huge fan. And now they’ve come out with a couple different flavors like the caramels and the licorice twist and they’re absolutely delicious. Like really really delicious!

While a couple of these were very tasty (the caramels and the licorice), the other ones all had the “diet” flavor that I was afraid they would have. The low rating is not even for the taste, though. They were all rock hard. They had to have been sitting somewhere for a long time. Very stale, and hard enough to nearly break a tooth. Will not be ordering these again.

These are extremely over priced. product is sub par for the price.