How much sugar can you eat a day? What the WHO recommends
Sugar hides in soda, juice, cereal and yogurt, and it is easy to go over without noticing. We explain how much the WHO recommends, how to work out your limit from your calories and how to cut back without suffering.
Key takeaways
- The WHO recommends less than 10% of your calories from free sugars.
- On 2,000 kcal that is about 50 g; ideally under 25 g.
- Sugar in whole fruit and milk doesn’t count toward that limit.
- Soda and juice are the easiest sources to cut.
Article contents
Which sugar are we talking about?
The recommendation is about free sugars: those added to food and drinks (table sugar, syrups) plus the sugars in honey and fruit juice. It doesn’t include the natural sugar in whole fruit, vegetables or milk, which comes with fibre, water and other nutrients.
How much sugar can you eat a day?
The World Health Organization recommends:
- Less than 10% of your calories from free sugars. On 2,000 kcal that is about 50 g, or 12 teaspoons.
- Even better, less than 5%: about 25 g, or 6 teaspoons.
| Calories a day | Under 10% | Under 5% |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 kcal | 38 g | 19 g |
| 2,000 kcal | 50 g | 25 g |
| 2,500 kcal | 63 g | 31 g |
Each gram of sugar provides 4 kcal, so the calculation is: calories × 0.10 ÷ 4. On 1,953 kcal, the limit is about 49 g.
Where sugar hides
- Soda: a 355 ml can of cola has around 35 to 40 g, almost your whole daily limit.
- Juice: even fresh juice counts as free sugar.
- Flavoured yogurt, cereal and bars: they look healthy, but many carry a fair amount of added sugar.
- Coffee-shop drinks: syrups and whipped cream add up fast.
How to eat less sugar
- Swap soda for water or unsweetened fruit water.
- Sweeten your coffee a little less each week: your taste adjusts in a few weeks.
- Choose plain yogurt and add fruit.
- Compare labels and choose the product with fewer added sugars. Learn to read the nutrition table.
If a product carries the excess-sugar label, keep it for now and then. We explain every label in our guide to Mexico’s warning labels.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams of sugar can you eat a day?
On a 2,000 kcal diet, less than 50 g of free sugars a day, and ideally less than 25 g.
Does sugar from fruit count?
Sugar in whole fruit doesn’t count toward the WHO limit. Sugar in juice, even fresh juice, does.
How many teaspoons of sugar is 50 g?
About 12 level teaspoons, since each one holds around 4 g.
Are sweeteners a better option?
They add no sugar, but the WHO doesn’t recommend them for weight control. It is best to get used to less sweetness little by little.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. Geneva, 2015. www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028
- World Health Organization. Healthy diet — Fact sheet. www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
We write nutrition guides with the same calculations and sources the app uses, cited at the end of each article.
This content is for information only and does not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, check with a professional before changing how you eat.
