Sometimes work is a bit boring. That’s just the truth. And when I struggle with motivation, I tend to fill that space with sweets.
I know, I’m a terrible person.
I’m not someone who believes in holding yourself hostage to your waistline – if I want a bag of sweets I’ll have them – but I do believe in damage limitation.
(I also work out, I’m not a total slob)
What do I mean by damage limitation? Well, I could tear through a £1.25 bag of Starburst with no qualms whatsoever, but if I did that every day I would be the size of a whale. On the other hand, I’m not going to ban myself from eating sweets like some naughty school child because I’m an independent woman gosh darn it.
So what I have done instead, is research the sweets available in the UK with the lowest calorie count and bought a bunch of regular size bags to go in my treat cupboard.
So I’ve got a way to satisfy my snack cravings and I don’t feel like I’m restricting myself, but it also does minimal damage to my bathroom scales.
Here are the sweets I opt for, but be warned, there may still be some self control required.
Hartley’s Jelly Pot – 10 Calories Per Pot
That’s right, I know how to party like it’s 1992.
They might remind you of birthday parties you attended as a kid, but these little beauties are basically free – calorie wise and price wise.
If you buy them in a 6 pack they cost less than 60p each and they only have 10 calories per pot. I know it’s just flavoured water in jelly form, I know it’s nothing exciting, but they taste great and there are ten different flavours too!
This makes them way more interesting than your average bag of sweets, although I would avoid the Rhubarb and Custard option 🤮
My favourites are:
- Blueberry and Blackcurrant
- Raspberry
- Mango and Passionfruit
- Strawberry
- Cherry Bakewell Tart
There was an Apple and Watermelon one I liked too but I haven’t seen it for ages.
Anyway, the point is these work great as a treat snack and have little to no impact on your weight. The puts are quite big too so it really feels like you are getting away with something a bit naughty.
But I promised you sweets, so let’s move on to something more traditional.
Skittles – 99 Calories Per 30 Grams
Taste the rainbow.
These little beauties are super juicy and flavoursome. I arrange them by colour then eat them one at a time like a complete loser, but even this gets my tastebuds tingling.
Since Skittles are such a popular brand, you can find them in lots of different size bags too. This is helpful because if you have good self control you can buy a big bag for best value and just take a small handfull to your desk. However, if you are like me and will eat it it’s open, you can buy the regular 45 gram bags and suffer a slightly bigger calorie hit, or go for a multi pack full of 18 gram bags.
I do the latter, because I can have two bags a day if I like and it’s still not as many calories as a regular sized bag you would get from the corner shop. So I get two boredom breaks for about 110 calories. That seems reasonable.
Plus, each 18g bag costs about 20p via a multipack, so that’s only a 40p spend per day on snacks.
It’s not the cheapest way of doing it but it’s certainly not expensive. I consider it a very small tax on my appalling self control.
Haribo Mini Bags – 50 Calories Per Bag
These aren’t my favourite sweet snack, but I usually keep some in the cupboard.
They last forever which probably means they are going to rot your insides, but we’re talking about sweets here so let’s not kid ourselves that gut health is our main priority!
Each mini bag is only 16 grams, and you are looking at around 50 calories per bag depending on the type you choose. It’s another one that you can have two of in a day without feeling guilty.
It’s also another type of sweet where there are a few different options to keep things interesting:
- Supermix – The jelly baby and foam milk bottle ones
- Starmix – The squishy gummy ones
- Tangfastics – The fizzy ones with extra E-numbers
They do sell small bags of specific sweets too if there is something you like more than everything else, plus seasonal options like Halloween bags, so loads of variety.
If you buy in bulk you can get them for about 10p per bag, so they are basically free. That’s how it works, right?
Chupa Chups Lollies – 45 Calories Per Lolly
This is a bit of a curve ball.
I feel stupid even writing the word lollipop as a professional grown up woman, but this is a seriously underrated sweet treat.
Think about it – a lollipop lasts for ages. It’s essentially jut a small ball of flavoured sugar, but it takes forever to disappear and unlike chewing gum it won’t lose its flavour. I buy Chupa Chups, but other lollies are available.
I work from home so I don’t need to worry about how I look with the thing hanging out of my mouth, and I can even put it to one side and come back to it later if I want. Oh, and don’t worry about the hygiene aspect, I’ve got a little spoon rest I use that is cleaned after every use 💁♀️
They cost about 30p individually but if you buy a bag of 10 they are something daft like 15p each. It’s nothing. As for calories, we are talking about 45 calories per lolly.
The only down side is that they can hurt the roof of your mouth after a while, but that’s never put me off.
In fact, I’ve got a bit obsessed with Chupa Chups. They have more than 100 flavours, so a little while after I got into them I decided I wanted to try them all. Now I have a spreadsheet with every single flavour on it and I mark them off as I try them. It’s the little things that keep you going, isn’t it?
My other half mocks me mercilessly, and I probably deserve it.
Natural Confectionary Company Jelly Snakes – 86 Calories Per 100 Grams
My last suggestion is a lesser known brand, but my word are these things delicious.
They are so juicy and flavoursome with a texture that is super satisfying. You can chomp them up and get a good jaw work out or let them dissolve slowly in your mouth for longer lasting enjoyment.
It’s hard not to chew them to be honest. I usually end up giving in after about 30 seconds but however you eat them they are amazing.
They come from a company that believes in keeping things natural too, so not only are they low in calories but they don’t contain any nasties like artificial flavours or colourings.
They are full of sugar so don’t kid yourself that they are healthy, but as sweets go they are a health conscious choice that genuinely taste amazing.
These things only come in 130 gram bags, but since there are only 86 calories er 100 grams you can eat the whole bag without being disgusted in yourself afterwards.
There are a few different flavours and each bag has a different mix, but you can see through the front of the packet so if you like the pink ones, for example, you can fish out a pack that looks to be well stocked with that flavour.