Sour Blast Buddies Vs Sour Patch Kids: Which Sour Gummy Candy Is Actually Healthier

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Let's point out the obvious here: Gummy candies aren't the foundation of a nutritious diet. But we all like a treat, and sometimes, if we're staring at two comparable items, we want to know which is the healthier pick. So we're diving into the nutrition labels of SmartSweets Sour Blast Buddies and Sour Patch Kids, which are both fruit-flavored chewy snacks with that taste bud-pleasing sour hit. However, when it comes to nutrition, SmartSweets, one of the healthier snack brands that will satisfy your sweet tooth, ticks more nutritional boxes.

In 30 grams of Sour Patch Kids (roughly 12 pieces), there are 110 calories; in a comparable amount of Sour Blast Buddies, there are roughly 48 calories. The Kids have 24 grams of sugar compared to the Buddies' less than 2 grams of sugar, making the latter a considerably better choice for those watching their sugar intake. If you're concerned with sodium intake, both are low, though the Kids are actually slightly better, with 25 milligrams versus the Buddies' 48 milligrams. Neither the Kids nor the Buddies contain any fat, and if you're conscious of gluten, there's good news with both gummy options — they are both gluten-free.

For those concerned with how much fiber you should be eating every day, the SmartSweets nutrition label might be pleasantly surprising. Thanks to ingredients like soluble fiber from tapioca and chicory root fiber — both of which can support a healthy gut — there's nearly 17 grams of fiber in 30 grams of these colorful bites. In that regard, the Buddies far outweigh the Kids, which contain zero fiber.

We mentioned the sugar content before, but it's also important to point out where those sugars come from. In Sour Patch Kids, the first three, and therefore most prevalent, ingredients are sugars (sugar, invert sugar, and corn syrup). Sour Blast Buddies' sweetness comes from the natural plant-derived sweetener stevia.

Finally, one last reason SmartSweets come out on top: They don't have artificial flavors or colors to bring a bright burst to their little lollies. As of November 2026,  Sour Patch Kids contain artificial flavor and four food dyes: Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1. However, the Kids' parent company, Mondelēz International, announced in September 2025 that it was working to replace synthetic food dyes with natural alternatives in its U.S. products (via Reuters), though no specific completion date has been announced.