One typical 11-piece serving of Drumstick Squashies has about 140 calories and ~25 g sugar, which is about 80% of the NHS daily free sugar cap for adults.
Sugar Per Piece
Calories Per 11
Sugar % Of Limit
Small Handful
- 5–6 sweets (~20 g)
- ~70 kcal
- ~12 g sugar
Light taste
Typical Snack
- 11 sweets (~40 g)
- ~140 kcal
- ~25 g sugar
Standard grab
Half A Bag
- ~60 g portion
- ~210 kcal
- ~38 g sugar (over daily cap)
Sugar bomb
Calories In Squashies Candy Per Serving And Per 100g
Swizzels Drumstick Squashies are soft raspberry-and-milk chewy sweets. A typical snack portion is 11 pieces, which weighs around 40 grams. That 11-piece portion sits at roughly 140 calories and about 25 grams of sugar.
On the label you’ll also see values “per 100 grams.” Per 100 grams of these chewy sweets you’re looking at about 353 to 356 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, around 84 grams of carbohydrate, and roughly 63 grams of total sugars.
| Portion | Calories (kcal) | Sugar (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Single Sweet (~3.5 g) | ≈13 kcal | ≈2 g |
| 11 Pieces (~40 g) | ≈140 kcal | ~25 g |
| 100 g (about 1/2 large bag) | ≈353-356 kcal | ~63 g |
A quick note on sugar. UK guidance says adults should stick to no more than 30 grams of “free sugars” per day, which includes sugars added to sweets like this. That means a casual grab of 11 Squashies already lands close to that daily ceiling for many grown-ups.
This is why a candy pause can quietly eat most of your daily added sugar limit before lunch. One handful doesn’t look huge, but it’s dense.
How Many Sweets Is One Serving?
Brands don’t stamp a universal “serving size” on every bag. Apps and nutrition panels often show 100 grams because that makes comparison easy. Real snacking doesn’t always match that.
Here’s how most people actually eat them based on real-world grabs:
- “Let me taste” grab: 5 to 6 sweets, around 20 grams. That’s about 70 calories and around 12 grams of sugar.
- “Just a few more” grab: 11 sweets, about 40 grams. That’s the ~140 calorie, ~25 gram sugar hit.
- “I kept going” grab: half a typical 120 g retail bag in one go (about 60 g). That’s around 210 calories and close to 38 grams of sugar — which blows past the daily cap for free sugars for anyone 11 and up.
For context, the NHS sugar limits say adults and kids over 11 should stay under 30 grams of free sugars per day and younger kids should aim even lower. Sweets like this land in the “foods to cut down on,” alongside fizzy drinks and sugary cereals, because they hit teeth and calorie intake without bringing fibre, vitamins, or minerals.
What Ingredients Add To The Calorie Count
These chewy sweets taste creamy and fruity because of a mix of glucose syrup, sugar, apple pulp, gelatine, and flavourings. That formula packs fast carbs, gives the stretchy chew, and keeps fat close to zero.
Sugar Load Drives Most Of The Energy
The calorie number in these sweets mainly comes from sugar and other carbohydrates. Per 100 grams you’re getting in the ballpark of 84 grams of total carbs and about 63 grams of sugar. Sugar brings about 4 calories per gram. That alone explains why 100 grams lands around the mid-350 calorie mark.
The NHS groups sweets, chocolate, biscuits, and sugary drinks together as “free sugar” sources people should cut back on, because they stack fast energy with almost no fibre or protein.
Little To No Fat
One quirky thing here: Squashies sit near zero fat. Multiple nutrition panels list total fat around 0.2 grams per 100 grams. That means almost all the calories come from carbs, not fat. The sweets feel creamy, but that creamy feel doesn’t mean cream or butter.
Low fat doesn’t mean “light,” though. A bag can still send sugar intake through the roof, which the NHS links to tooth decay and extra calorie intake across the day.
Why Flavour Matters
Calorie numbers shift a little between flavours. Swizzels lists classic raspberry & milk style Squashies around 353 to 356 kcal per 100 grams. A tropical blend sits close too, landing near 349 kcal per 100 grams with similar carbs in the mid-80 gram range.
The small spread (349 vs about 356 kcal per 100 grams) comes down to recipe tweaks: different fruit flavour bases, tiny changes in sugars, and water content. In plain terms, every classic flavour sits in the same calorie neighbourhood, so swapping raspberry & milk for tropical won’t suddenly turn this into a low calorie candy.
What This Means For Weight, Teeth, And Daily Sugar
A 140 calorie snack doesn’t sound huge. The catch is the sugar density. That 11-piece handful gives around 25 grams of sugar with barely any protein or fibre to slow absorption. Quick sugar like this spikes energy, then hunger can bounce right back. Many people reach for more sweets, or grab a sugary drink, which stacks total calories for the day.
The NHS links high free sugar intake to tooth decay and to higher calorie intake overall. Adults are asked to cap added/free sugars at 30 grams per day, and kids 7-10 years old are guided to stay under 24 grams per day. That means even a “normal” handful of these chewy sweets could use most of a child’s daily sugar allowance before dinner.
It helps to know what it takes to burn off that snack. A rough guide for a 70 kg person:
| Activity | Minutes To Burn ~140 kcal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk Walk (~5 km/h) | ~36 min | Easy pace, steady breathing |
| Casual Bike Ride | ~22 min | Flat ground, light effort |
| Easy Jog (~8 km/h) | ~15 min | Comfortable slow jog |
Those times aren’t exact science. Body weight, pace, terrain, and fitness level all change the burn. The chart simply shows that a sweet snack can mean 15 to 35 minutes of movement later if you want to “pay it back.”
Smart Tips To Enjoy These Sweets Without Going Overboard
Pre-Portion The Bag
Don’t sit with the full bag. Tip 5 or 6 sweets into a ramekin, close the bag, and put it back in the cupboard. That bowl lands around 70 calories and roughly 12 grams of sugar, not 25 grams.
Drink Water And Pause
Sip water between sweets and give yourself a short break. Sweet snacks hit fast, and thirst can feel like hunger. A pause makes it easier to stop at one small handful instead of half a bag.
Pair With A Meal, Not On An Empty Stomach
Eating these chewy sweets right after lunch or dinner, instead of when you’re starving at 3 p.m., can blunt a sugar rush because protein and fibre from the meal slow digestion. That keeps the urge for a second round in check later in the afternoon.
Balance The Rest Of The Day
Plan the rest of the day around whole foods with fibre and protein: lean meat or tofu, veg, oats, nuts, plain yoghurt, eggs. The idea is simple — if one snack dumps fast sugar and almost no nutrients, the rest of the plate should lean hard toward slow, filling food.
If you want some calorie burn that doesn’t feel like punishment, a steady walk works well and it’s gentle on joints. You can skim our short guide on walking for health for ideas on pace and posture that make each step count.
Bottom Line On Squashies Calories And Sugar
Here’s the plain truth. A normal 11-sweet handful sits at about 140 calories and ~25 grams of sugar. Per 100 grams, these chewy raspberry-and-milk sweets land in the mid-350 calorie range with roughly 63 grams of sugar. UK guidance asks adults to cap free sugars at 30 grams per day, and kids have even tighter limits.
That means this candy is a “sometimes snack.” It can fit, but the math is blunt: one carefree handful already comes close to the daily sugar cap for many people, and polishing off half a bag blows past it.