Sugar Intake CalculatorHow Much Added Sugar Is Too Much?
Tap in what you ate and drank today to see your added sugar in grams and teaspoons, compared with AHA, WHO and Dietary Guidelines limits, plus the single swap that cuts the most.
Built & medically reviewed by Manzoor Ahmad, Pharmacist & Calculator Developer · Updated
Limits from the American Heart Association, the WHO sugars guideline and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
How much sugar should you have a day?
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 g (6 teaspoons) of added sugar a day for women and 36 g (9 teaspoons) for men. The WHO and US Dietary Guidelines cap added sugar at under 10% of calories, about 50 g on 2,000 kcal, and the WHO says under 5% is better. One can of regular soda contains about 39 g.
Today’s sugar
*WHO counts sugar in juice as “free sugar”.
That’s 168% of the AHA limit of 25 g for women.
How you compare with each guideline
Biggest win
How much added sugar per day is too much?
| Guideline | Women | Men | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association | 25 g (6 tsp) | 36 g (9 tsp) | < 25 g. None under age 2 |
| Dietary Guidelines for Americans | < 10% of calories (≈ 50 g at 2,000 kcal) | same | none under age 2 |
| WHO (strong) | < 10% of energy | same | same |
| WHO (conditional, ideal) | < 5% (≈ 25 g) | same | same |
How we count your sugar
Natural sugars in whole fruit and plain milk don’t count. On US labels, use the “Includes Added Sugars” line.
A “pretty normal” morning
- 16 oz flavoured latte: 30 g
- 1 cup sweetened cereal: 12 g
- Total: 42 g = 10.5 teaspoons, before lunch
- That’s 168% of the AHA women’s limit and 84% of the Dietary Guidelines’ 10% cap at 2,000 kcal.
- Switching to an unsweetened latte cuts it to 12 g.
Hidden sugar in medicines and supplements
Liquid medicines, cough syrups, chewable vitamins and gummy supplements can contain 2–8 g of sugar per dose. That’s significant for children and people with diabetes taking several doses a day. Ask for sugar-free (SF) versions, which most pharmacies stock.
“Sugar-free” gummies often use sorbitol or maltitol, which can cause diarrhoea in large amounts. For people managing diabetes, glucose tablets (4 g each) are the right way to treat a low, not sweets, because the dose is predictable.
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Sugar Intake calculator FAQs
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 g (6 teaspoons) of added sugar a day for women and 36 g (9 teaspoons) for men. The Dietary Guidelines and WHO set the limit at under 10% of calories, about 50 g on 2,000 calories, with under 5% as the ideal.
About 6 teaspoons. One teaspoon of granulated sugar weighs about 4 g, so divide grams by 4 to get teaspoons.
Sugar in whole fruit doesn’t count toward added-sugar limits, because it comes with fibre, water and nutrients. Fruit juice and smoothies count as ‘free sugars’ under WHO guidelines.
A 12 oz (355 mL) can of regular cola contains about 39 g of sugar, nearly 10 teaspoons. That’s more than the AHA’s whole daily limit for both women and men.
Total sugar includes natural sugars from milk and fruit plus any added sugars. Added sugar is sugar, syrups and honey put in during processing or cooking. US labels show both. Limits apply to added sugar.
Not really. Honey, maple syrup, agave and coconut sugar all count as added sugar. They contain small amounts of other compounds, but your body handles them much like table sugar.
Manzoor Ahmad
Pharmacist · Supplement & Nutrition Writer (9+ yrs) · Calculator Developer (13+ yrs)
I’m a practising pharmacist and DexoCalc’s developer. One of the most overlooked sources of sugar I see is medicines: syrups and gummy vitamins. This calculator turns your day into sugar cubes you can see, and points to the one swap that makes the biggest difference.
References
- Johnson RK, et al. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: AHA scientific statement. Circulation. 2009;120(11):1011–1020. PubMed
- WHO. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children (2015).
- USDA & HHS. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- FDA. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label.
Note: Sugar values are typical averages, and brands vary, so check labels for accuracy. This is general guidance, not medical advice.