Sugar calculator: how much a day
WHO recommends that free sugars supply less than 10% of your energy intake, and ideally less than 5%. At 2,000 kcal that is 50 and 25 grams — 10 and 5 teaspoons. The calculator works out the limit for your calories and shows what share of it a serving from a label takes.
The recommendation comes from the WHO guideline on sugars intake, 2015. WHO calls the 10% limit a strong recommendation and the 5% one a conditional one. Grams come from dividing energy by 4 kcal per gram: 10% of 2,000 kcal is 200 kcal, or 50 g.
The limit applies to all free sugars across the day together — from tea, sauces, baking, drinks and desserts. The calculator shows scale, it does not judge choices: no food in it is off limits.
How it works
- Enter your daily calories; if you do not know them, use the calorie calculator or keep 2,000.
- Read the limit in grams and teaspoons, for 10% and for 5%.
- To check a specific purchase, enter the sugars per 100 g from the label and the serving weight.
What counts as free sugars
By WHO’s definition, free sugars are sugars added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, a cook or the consumer, plus the sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. The sugars in whole fresh fruit and vegetables and the lactose in milk are outside the recommendation: no adverse effect of those sugars has been reported.
On Russian and EU labels sugars sit on one line, “of which sugars”, with added and naturally present sugar not separated, so a label figure is an upper estimate of free sugars. An indirect sign of added sugar is the ingredient list: if sugar, syrup, molasses or fruit juice concentrate come high up, they were added. More on the names sugar goes by is in hidden sugar names and on how honey and syrups compare in sugar, honey and syrups.
| Calories per day | Free sugars according to WHO |
|---|---|
| 1,500 kcal | under 38 g (7.6 tsp), ideally under 19 g (3.8 tsp) |
| 1,800 kcal | under 45 g (9 tsp), ideally under 23 g (4.6 tsp) |
| 2,000 kcal | under 50 g (10 tsp), ideally under 25 g (5 tsp) |
| 2,400 kcal | under 60 g (12 tsp), ideally under 30 g (6 tsp) |
| 3,000 kcal | under 75 g (15 tsp), ideally under 38 g (7.6 tsp) |
Frequently asked questions
- How much sugar is OK a day?
- WHO recommends less than 10% of energy from free sugars: at 2,000 kcal that is less than 50 grams. Ideally less than 5%, under 25 grams. The first recommendation is strong, the second conditional.
- How many grams of sugar are in a teaspoon?
- A level teaspoon is 5 grams, a heaped one about 7. The calculator uses a level teaspoon.
- Does the sugar in fruit count towards the limit?
- The sugar in whole fruit and the lactose in milk do not: WHO leaves them out of the recommendation because no adverse effect of those sugars has been reported. The sugar in fruit juice and honey does count.
Further reading
- Hidden sugar: the names it goes by on labels
- Sugar, honey and syrups: how they differ
- Calorie calculator
More calculators: Alcohol calorie calculator, Calorie calculator, TDEE calculator, BMI calculator.
This calculator gives an estimate for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.