Is sugar-free jelly healthy?

At 12 calories per serving, it's very low calorie. But it's NOVA 4 — artificial sweeteners, colours, and flavourings. It depends what you mean by 'healthy'.

What is the glycemic index of jelly?

Jelly has a glycemic index of 65, which is classified as Medium GI. Jelly has a medium-high GI of around 65 due to its high sugar content and lack of fibre or fat to slow absorption.

Glucose: LowNOVA 4

How Many Calories for Jelly?

A 125g serving of sugar-free jelly has around 10-15 calories — one of the lowest-calorie desserts available. Regular jelly has 70-90 calories per serving from sugar. Most jelly is NOVA 4.

Calories by preparation

Method	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	NOVA
Sugar-free jelly (125g serving)Virtually calorie-free but ultra-processedContains artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K), colours, flavourings — NOVA 4	12	1.5g	0g	1g	4
Regular jelly (125g serving)Low calorie compared to most dessertsSugar, gelatine, colours, flavourings — NOVA 4	80	1.5g	0g	18g	4

Nutrition per 100g

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Energy	62 kcal / 263 kJ	62 kcal
Protein	1.2g	1.2g
Carbohydrates	15g	15g
of which sugars	15g	—
Fat	0g	0g
of which saturated	0g	—
Fibre	0g	—
Salt	0.02g	—

Serving size: 1 pot (~175g) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Glucose impact

Glycemic Index

Low

Glucose risk

Sugar-free jelly has virtually no carbs. Regular jelly has 18g sugar per serving — moderate but not high for a dessert.

Processing level

NOVA 4 (ultra-processed)

All commercial jelly (Hartley's, Tesco own brand) is NOVA 4. Even sugar-free versions contain artificial sweeteners, colours, and flavourings. The only NOVA 1 option would be homemade using gelatine and real fruit juice.

Jelly at Tesco

Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Hartley's Sugar Free Jelly - Raspberry 115g

£0.8*

Hartleys Sugar Free Jelly Raspberry 23G

£1.2*

Hartleys Sugar Free Jelly Strawberry 23G

£1.2*

Hartley's Jelly - Strawberry Flavour 125g

£0.8*

Hartleys Raspberry Jelly 135G

£1.15*

*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.

What to watch for when shopping

Ready-made jelly pots are very low calorie (62-80 kcal per pot) but are NOVA 4 due to artificial sweeteners, flavourings, and colourings. Sugar-free versions save about 30 kcal per pot but add more artificial sweeteners. Making jelly from plain gelatine and fruit juice is NOVA 1-2 and avoids all the additives.

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