As a kid, I really enjoyed those sugar-filled candies known as "fruit slices".  Of course, they're not actually slices of fruit.  But they are shaped like slices of fruit, and they have fruity flavors.  And while they're basically nothing more than flavored sugar, they do taste good!    
 
But I thought my fruit slices days were over, when I stopped eating sugary snacks.  Until last November when I discovered Sugar-Free Fruit Slices in my Figi's mail order catalog.  (Figi's specializes in candies and other snacks. But they also happen to have many sugar-free items).

The sugar-free fruit slices looked beautiful in the catalog.  They looked exactly the same as the ones I remembered from my childhood.  They come in a bright, colorful tin.  And, as opposed to the picture in the catalog (the same as the picture in this database listing) the candies are actually individually-wrapped.  This is a great feature, as these candies tend to get sticky, especially in warm temperatures. 

For $16.99 you get 13 oz. of candies, in four colors/flavors.  The red candy is cherry, yellow is lemon, green is lime, and orange is orange.  Do they actually taste like their fruit counterparts?  Well, some of them do.  In particular, the lemon and the orange do taste vaguely of their fruits.  The cherry is really just very sweet.  And while it's slightly "fruity" I really couldn't say that it tastes like cherry.  And the green ones don't taste anything like lime.

As far as texture and taste go, it's been a really long time since I've had the regular, sugar-filled candies, but I think these come pretty close.  They're sweet, sticky, and chewy, with a slightly crunchy dusting of sweetness on the outside.  My husband and I both really like them.

So, what makes them so sweet?  Well, a whole lot of chemicals.  Maltitol syrup, polyglycitol, crystalline maltitol, and sucralose.    As with any product made with sugar alcohols, you should be careful eating these as you may experience some gastric distress.  As for me, I can eat three pieces without any problem, but I wouldn't dare eat more than that in one sitting.  Three pieces are considered a serving, and give you 70 calories, with no fat or sodium.  The regular (sugar-filled) candies are 140 calories for the same size serving.  So, in this case, the sugar-free variety is definitely a reduced-calorie snack.  (That's not the case with all sugar-free foods, so read labels carefully)

I am thrilled that I found this product as I can enjoy a delicious snack that reminds me of my childhood, without eating any sugar.  While they're a bit expensive when bought from the Figi's catalog, I've since found them online, where they are sold in bulk, costing quite a bit less per pound.

Recommended: Yes