Do you know how much added sugar you consume per day? Here's how to find out if you are eating too much

You may crave and enjoy sweets, but too much added sugar per day can interfere with meeting your health goals. Learn what counts as added sugar and how much is too much.

Why should you watch how much added sugar you eat per day?

Added sugars provide carbohydrates and calories but no nutrient value. Researchers link high added sugar consumption to being overweight, increased blood fat and blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and lower vitamin and mineral intake. The FDA defines added sugars as sugars added during the processing of foods, foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. Notably, many sweeteners we may consider as “healthier” alternatives are still added sugars. These include honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar, date sugar, molasses, brown sugar, and even date syrup, in some cases.

You don’t need to avoid naturally occurring sugars in milk, fruit, and certain vegetables. They also contain many other nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamin D. These nutrients are essential for a healthy diet. On the other hand, limiting foods and beverages with added sugars is wise.

By tracking your added sugar intake, you may discover you consume more added sugars than you realize, including hidden sugar in cereals, granola bars, salad dressings, and sauces.

Guidelines for added sugar

USDA Dietary Guidelines

The 2020-2025 USDA Dietary Guidelines rand the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommend no more than 10% of calories from added sugars. For example, if you have a 1600-calorie budget, your limit is 40 grams per day, the equivalent of ten teaspoons of added sugar. For reference, one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of added sugar.

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association provides a stricter target of no more than 6% of calories from added sugar. For a 1600-calorie diet, this translates to 24 grams per day, the equivalent of six teaspoons of added sugar.

Although there are differing recommendations for added sugars, it’s clear most of us get too much. The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day! Sweetened beverages are, by far, the largest source of added sugars.

Tip: Four grams of added sugars equals a teaspoon of sugar.

Tracking added sugars with MyNetDiary

You can track total sugars and added sugars with a Premium MyNetDiary account. MyNetDiary uses the US Dietary Guidelines as the default target for added sugars per day, though you can adjust your target in Settings. Go to the “Me” tab, then select “My Weight Goal & Plan,” then scroll to “Nutrients,” and tap “Added Sugar” to adjust your settings.

You may notice that some foods in our database do not have added sugar values, as the USDA database does not provide this information. We strive to provide this information when available. If you notice added sugar values for a packaged food item, please use our PhotoFoods feature to update the nutrition information easily.

Related content:

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Love sweets and want to try low-sugar baking? Follow our guide for success!
Starch, sugar, and fiber: Here’s what the 3 main types of carbohydrates mean to your health, plus how to track them

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Updated by Amy Brownstein, MS, RDN on January 24, 2025

Nutrients->"Carbs: Fiber, Starch, & Sugar" Weight Loss->Sugars & Sweeteners