How many g of sugar should you have a day

If the S-word makes your mouth water and images of ice cream-filled doughnuts dance in your head, we get it. Sugar is a craveable ingredient.

The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended daily sugar intake is 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Following these guidelines can be difficult, as sugar is in a ton of foods and added sugar is especially sneaky, popping up in places you might not even suspect.

You expect it to be in a soda but maybe not in your pasta sauce. Yet there it is, being a creeper in the form of barley malt — or some other weird name.

Whether you’re trying to cut down on added sugar or you just want to be more mindful about when you consume it, we’ve got this guide to show you what the recommended limits look like and how to stay under them.

Recommended limits for added sugar

The average American consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. But government dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugar to no more than 10 percent of calories per day — in a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 12 teaspoons or 200 calories’ worth of sugar, and the AHA’s added sugar limits are even lower.

So what does that mean, exactly? It’s confusing AF. That’s why we’ve put together two hypothetical daily menus to show you exactly what eating 50 grams and 25 grams of added sugar per day actually looks like.

What it looks like to eat 25 grams of added sugar

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What it looks like to eat 50 grams of added sugar

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Note: Unless the brand is noted in the graphics above, these numbers are estimates from the USDA nutrient database. We’re referring only to added sugar, not natural sugars (e.g., those found in milk or a sweet potato).

Finding sugar on nutrition labels

You might have noticed that added sugar in those menus is highest in “healthy” items, such as whole-grain cereal, stir-fry, spinach salad with dried cranberries, and popcorn.

Added sugar lurks in processed foods, dried fruit, sauces, and condiments. “That means you have to learn to be a better label reader and know the various forms of sugar so that you can identify them,” says Chicago-based dietitian and chef Sara Haas, RDN, LDN.

Check your pasta sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, and basically anything else in a jar.

Sugar has many aliases, such as high-fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, malt syrup, sucrose, confectioners’ sugar, dextrose, agave, and maple syrup. The list goes on.

The good news is that counting added sugar in grams is getting easier, thanks to changes in food label requirements. Many products already include an indented line for added sugars under the total sugar amount.

By 2020, companies with more than $10 million in revenue will be required by law to include the total added sugar in grams. And by 2021, companies with less revenue will be required to follow suit.

Why is added sugar such a concern?

Our bodies don’t need added sugar to survive.DiNicolantonio JJ, et al. (2016). Added sugars drive nutrient and energy deficit in obesity: A new paradigm. DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2016-000469We get plenty of natural sugars from foods, including from fruit and dairy. And carbs convert to sugar, or glucose, in the bloodstream.

Piling on the added sugar can lead to insulin resistance, and that can drive a whole host of problems like diabetes and coronary heart disease.DiNicolantonio JJ, et al. (2017). Added sugars drive coronary heart disease via insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia: A new paradigm. DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000729

Plus, just like booze, added sugar takes its toll on your liver. Eating it in excess puts you at a greater risk for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), even if you’re not overweight.Jensen T, et al. (2018). Fructose and sugar: A major mediator of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.01.019

Taking charge of your sugar consumption

Does this mean you have to police your food labels all day? Of course not.

Understanding added sugar is about empowerment and having the tools to cut back if you’re worried about the possible health effects.

And if you’re tired of the roller coaster of sugar highs followed by the dreaded plummets and you want to get off the rickety ride, checking your daily sugar consumption can help.

After a few days of reading food labels, you’ll be an added-sugar pro. Then you can eat it only when you want to — like on a dessert date with a pal — rather than having it show up uninvited in your afternoon snack.

I happen to be a big fan of sugar: I love the doughnuts and lattes from this coffee shop down the block, I love having a small bag of candy as a late afternoon pick-me-up, and I always look forward to the glass of white wine I have after dinner. But as much as I enjoy these treats, this lineup is above the recommended daily sugar intake. Overdoing sugar long term can lead to health problems down the line like heart disease and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For this reason, and others like generally feeling better throughout the day, it's important to keep your daily sugar intake in check. 

I spoke to registered dietician Amy Shapiro to find out exactly what smart sugar intake looks like and how to keep sugar levels in check throughout your day. 

Read more: What's in a Calorie and Why That Matters More Than the Number

Not all sugar counts 

"Generally speaking we want to keep added sugars to less than 10% of total calories. The recommendation for men is no more than 9 tsp. of sugar or 150 calories from added sugar daily, and for women and kids 6 tsp. sugar and 100 calories daily," says Shapiro. 

When talking about sugar, it's important to clarify the kind of sugar, since there is a real difference between the sugar that's added to food and the sugar that's found naturally in foods. The recommendations above are meant for added sugars, according to Shapiro. So what should you know about sugar that's found naturally in food like fruit?

"Natural sugars come along with additional health benefits like water, fiber, vitamins and minerals so those aren't as widely limited. However, if you have a weight issue or if you are trying to prevent diabetes you may need to watch naturally occurring sugars, too," says Shapiro. 

Always talk to your doctor about the best way to manage and prevent diseases like diabetes, by the way. In general, Shapiro says that the main culprits behind excess sugar intake are processed foods. 

Sneaky 'healthy' foods where extra sugar hides

According to Shapiro, most people get their sugar intake from foods like cereal, granola, yogurt, energy bars, baked goods, juice, coffee drinks and even diet or fat-free foods. What's pretty surprising about this is that many of these foods are labeled as "healthy" or seem like healthier, everyday food staples. But these foods are some to be wary of, or at least double-check the sugar content before you down them thinking they are healthier options.

"Granola is all-natural and often sweetened with honey or something that sounds healthier but is still added sugar. They think it is a healthy breakfast, but oftentimes flavored yogurts, even Greek yogurts, have upwards of 18 grams of sugar per 5 oz. serving. That is a lot," says Shapiro. "Add the granola to it and you have hit your daily intake and it's only breakfast time." 

Other common foods that seem healthy but can pack in the sugar are vegan or gluten-free baked goods, according to Shapiro. "Having a vegan or gluten-free baked good or cookie seems healthy, but they still contain a decent amount of sugar," says Shapiro. This is because vegan simply means no animal products are used in the product, and gluten-free is typically a similar nutrition profile as another baked good with gluten -- the flour is just made from a gluten-free source. In both cases, there's plenty of room to add sweeteners and sugars to recipes and label them "gluten-free," "vegan," or even "organic," so don't be fooled by wellness buzzwords that are often labeled on processed, packaged foods or baked goods.

Another easy way to pack in more sugar than you might plan to is to drink specialty coffee drinks. "Grab a quick coffee drink in the middle of the day to pick up your energy and you are in for over 20g of sugar," says Shapiro. Specialty lattes and coffee drinks are often packed with flavored syrups, which may taste great in your java, but are an easy way to load up on sugar fast. A better option is to try an unsweetened coffee, or sweeten it yourself with a packet of sugar so you can at least control how much is going in your drink. 

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How to keep your daily sugar intake in check 

Since sugar can add up really fast throughout the day when you're eating processed or fast foods, Shapiro recommends sticking to mostly whole foods as much as possible. "Whole foods contain natural sugars but also have fiber, vitamins and minerals. So if you are craving something sweet, grab a piece of fruit," says Shapiro. With whole foods, you're much more likely to find sweet foods with overall lower sugar content, plus you get the added benefit of other good-for-you nutrients.

Another tip is to get into the habit of checking nutrition labels for sugar content whenever you can. "Look for the amount of added sugars so you can make sure you stick to a healthy portion; also read ingredient lists since ingredients like honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar sound healthy but are still considered added sugars," says Shapiro.

More nutrition-related reads

• Learn How to Read Supplement Labels With These Tips
• Do You Really Need 3 Meals a Day? A Dietitian Cracks the Code
• If You're Not Counting Your Macros Yet, Read This
• Going Vegan or Vegetarian? Here's What to Know About Plant-Based Diets

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.