About the Sugar Intake Calculator
This sugar intake calculator shows the most added sugar you should eat in a day according to the three guidelines people most often ask about. The World Health Organization says free sugars should stay under 10% of your calories, ideally under 5%. The American Heart Association sets fixed caps of about 25 g a day for women and children and 37.5 g (150 calories) for men. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 say no amount of added sugar is recommended, but if you eat it, a meal should contain no more than 10 g — and for children up to age 10 they recommend no added sugar at all.
Enter your age, sex, daily calories and how many meals you eat, plus your current added-sugar intake from food labels or a tracking app. The calculator converts each limit into grams and teaspoons and compares it with what you eat now.
Added sugars are sugars and syrups put into foods during processing or preparation, plus table sugar and honey you add yourself. Sugar naturally present in whole fruit, vegetables and plain milk does not count. WHO’s “free sugars” also include the sugar in fruit juice, so its limit is slightly stricter in practice.
With the default inputs, the who maximum (under 10% of calories) is 50 g/day. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the sugar intake calculator
- 1Enter your age and sex.
- 2Enter your usual daily calories (use a calorie or TDEE calculator if unsure).
- 3Enter how many meals you eat a day.
- 4Add up the added sugars you eat now from Nutrition Facts labels.
- 5Compare your intake with each limit and aim for the strictest one you can manage.
Formula and method
Sugar provides 4 calories per gram, so a limit expressed as a share of calories converts to grams by multiplying your daily calories by the percentage and dividing by 4. At 2,000 calories, 10% is 200 calories, or 50 g of sugar; 5% is 25 g. Teaspoons assume about 4 g of granulated sugar per level teaspoon.
The American Heart Association limits are fixed amounts rather than percentages: no more than 100 calories (25 g) a day for most women, 150 calories (37.5 g) for most men, and 25 g for children aged 2–18, with none under age 2. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 cap added sugars at 10 g per meal, so the daily figure is 10 g times your meals, and zero for children under 11. The strictest limit is the lowest of the three.
- Calories
- Your usual daily energy intake in kcal
- 4
- Calories per gram of sugar (and grams per teaspoon)
- meals
- Number of meals you eat per day
Worked examples
35-year-old woman eating 2,000 kcal
10% of 2,000 calories is 200 calories, or 50 g of sugar (12.5 teaspoons); 5% is 25 g. The AHA limit for women is also 25 g, and three meals at 10 g each allow 30 g under the US guidelines. Eating 60 g a day is 120% of the WHO maximum.
40-year-old man eating 2,600 kcal over 4 meals
His WHO 10% limit is 2,600 × 0.10 ÷ 4 = 65 g and the 5% target is 32.5 g. The AHA caps men at 150 calories, or 37.5 g, and four meals allow 40 g under the US guidelines, so the strictest limit is 37.5 g. At 80 g he is at about 123% of the WHO maximum.
9-year-old girl eating 1,600 kcal
WHO’s 10% limit works out to 40 g and the AHA caps children at 25 g, but the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines recommend no added sugar at all for children under 11, so the strictest limit is zero.
Frequently asked questions
How much sugar should I have per day?+
WHO advises keeping free sugars under 10% of calories (50 g on a 2,000-calorie diet), ideally under 5% (about 25 g or 6 teaspoons). The AHA suggests at most about 25 g for women and 37.5 g for men.
Does sugar in fruit count?+
No. Sugars naturally present in whole fruit, vegetables and plain milk are not added sugars and do not count toward these limits. WHO does count the sugar in fruit juice and honey as free sugars.
What do the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say about sugar?+
They say no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended as part of a healthy diet, and that one meal should contain no more than 10 g of added sugars. For children they advise avoiding added sugars in infancy and early childhood and say no amount is recommended for ages 5–10.
How many grams of sugar are in a teaspoon?+
A level teaspoon of granulated sugar weighs about 4 g, so 25 g is roughly 6 teaspoons and 50 g is about 12 teaspoons.
How do I find added sugars on a label?+
US Nutrition Facts labels list “Includes X g Added Sugars” under Total Sugars, with a %DV based on a 50 g Daily Value. Ingredients ending in “-ose” or containing “syrup” or “sugar” are added sugars.
Are artificial sweeteners a good substitute?+
The 2025–2030 US Dietary Guidelines advise limiting low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners too, and WHO advises against using them for weight control. Gradually reducing sweetness overall is the approach most guidelines favour.
This tool gives general estimates and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or qualified professional about your health, diet or training.
Sources
- WHO — Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children (2015)
- WHO — Healthy diet fact sheet
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (PDF)
- AHA scientific statement: Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health (Johnson et al., 2009)
- AHA scientific statement: Added sugars and cardiovascular disease risk in children (Vos et al., 2017)