Added Sugar Intake Calculator (vs WHO and AHA limits)

Understanding the added sugar intake calculator — concept and principle

This calculator adds up the free sugars you ate in a day from drinks, sweets, sweetened foods and sugar you add yourself, then compares the total with the World Health Organization limit of 10% of energy, its further goal of 5%, and the American Heart Association guide. It shows grams, teaspoons and the share of your daily calories. People trying to cut sugar and parents checking children's diets use it.

Sugar grams → share of calories — with the default inputs: 15% of calories.

How it is calculated

Free sugars = sum of the four entries (g)
Teaspoons = grams ÷ 4
Share of calories = grams × 4 kcal ÷ daily kcal × 100
WHO 10% limit (g) = daily kcal × 0.10 ÷ 4; 5% goal = daily kcal × 0.05 ÷ 4
AHA guide: at most 25 g a day for women, 36 g for men

The principle

WHO recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of total energy intake, and suggests below 5% for additional benefits, mainly to lower the risk of excess weight and tooth decay. Free sugars are sugars added to foods and drinks plus those naturally in honey, syrups and fruit juice; the sugar inside whole fruit, vegetables and plain milk does not count. Sugar provides 4 kcal per gram, so a percentage of energy converts directly to grams.

Worked example

Defaults: drinks 35 g, sweets 20 g, sweetened foods 12 g, added sugar 8 g; 2,000 kcal; AHA guide for women.

Free sugars = 35 + 20 + 12 + 8 = 75 g = 18.8 teaspoons.
Share of calories = 75 × 4 ÷ 2,000 × 100 = 15%.
WHO 10% limit = 2,000 × 0.10 ÷ 4 = 50 g; 5% goal = 25 g; AHA limit = 25 g.
Compared with the WHO 10% limit: above the limit.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Sugary drinks, juice and sweetened coffee (g sugar)” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Sugary drinks, juice and sweetened coffee (g sugar)	Free sugars today (g)
8.75	49
17.5	58
26.2	66
35	75
43.8	84
52.5	93
70	110

How to read the result

Where does your result fall?

Here sugar supplies 15% of energy, half again above the WHO limit. A single sugary drink accounts for nearly half the total, so swapping it for water or an unsweetened drink would bring the day close to the limit. Look at the biggest category first; small changes there have the largest effect.

Common mistakes

Counting the natural sugar in whole fruit or plain milk as free sugar.
Forgetting fruit juice and honey, which do count.
Using "total sugars" from a label when you want "added sugars".
Estimating portions too small.

Keep in mind: This tool estimates intake from your entries; it is not a diagnosis or a diet plan. People with diabetes or other conditions should follow their care team's advice.

Frequently asked questions

How much sugar per day is recommended?

WHO advises below 10% of energy (50 g on 2,000 kcal), ideally below 5% (25 g).

Does fruit count as sugar?

The sugar in whole fruit does not count as free sugar; fruit juice does.

How many grams is a teaspoon of sugar?

About 4 g, the value used here.

Sources: World Health Organization, Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children (Geneva, 2015) · Johnson RK et al., "Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association", Circulation 2009;120:1011–1020

Checked 9 Nov 2026. World Health Organization, Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children (Geneva, 2015); Johnson RK et al., Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, Circulation 2009;120:1011–1020; energy value 4 kcal/g (Atwater).

Your numbers