Added sugar intake calculator
Choose a guideline and the calculator turns it into grams and teaspoons of added sugar per day. Enter the sugar you have already eaten to see how much room is left.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Pick a guideline. With the WHO one, choose under 10% or under 5% and enter your daily calories.
- Optionally enter the grams of added sugar you have eaten today.
- Read the daily limit in grams and teaspoons and the grams left.
Where the numbers come from
- WHO (2015), Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children: free sugars below 10% of total energy intake (a strong recommendation), and below 5% for further benefit (a conditional recommendation). On 2,000 kcal that is 50 g and about 25 g.
- American Heart Association (Johnson et al., Circulation, 2009; Vos et al., Circulation, 2017): at most 100 calories (about 25 g) a day for women and 150 calories (about 36 g) for men; children aged 2 to 18 under 25 g.
The conversion is grams = calories × share ÷ 4, since sugar has about 4 calories per gram, and teaspoons = grams ÷ 4.
Worked example
On a 2,000 kcal day, 10% is 200 kcal. 200 ÷ 4 = 50 g, which is 12.5 teaspoons. If you have already eaten 20 g, 30 g is left.
Reading labels
Labels often list “added sugars” separately from “total sugars”. Use the added figure, or look for syrups, honey and juice concentrates in the ingredients. A can of sweetened soft drink can use up most of the lower limits on its own.
Frequently asked questions
How much added sugar is too much per day?
The World Health Organization recommends that free sugars stay below 10% of total energy intake, and below 5% for additional health benefits. The American Heart Association advises at most about 25 g a day for women and 36 g for men.
What counts as added or free sugar?
WHO free sugars are sugars added to foods and drinks plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. Sugar inside whole fruit and plain milk is not counted.
How many teaspoons of sugar is 25 grams?
About 6 teaspoons. The calculator uses 4 grams per level teaspoon, the same rule of thumb the AHA uses, and 4 calories per gram of sugar.
Do these limits apply to children?
The AHA advises children aged 2 to 18 to have less than 25 g of added sugar a day, and none under age 2. WHO applies the same percentage limits to adults and children.
Is this medical advice?
No. These are population guidelines. People with diabetes or other conditions should follow the plan from their own doctor or dietitian.