Daily Sugar Intake Limit Calculator

Calculate your maximum recommended daily limit for added sugars.

Daily Calorie Goal (TDEE) Your total energy needs (e.g., from a TDEE calculator).

Sugar Limit Guideline AHA recommends 5% (strict) for heart health.

Maximum Added Sugar Intake

Sugar Limit (Grams)

Sugar Limit (Teaspoons)

Guideline Details

Based on your chosen percentage of total caloric intake.

Setting Your Daily Added Sugar Limit

The **Sugar Intake Calculator** helps you define your **daily sugar goal** by calculating the maximum allowable **added sugar limit** in **grams** and **teaspoons**. Major health organizations, including the **WHO** and **AHA guidelines**, recommend severely limiting **added sugar** intake to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. This tool uses your **daily calorie goal** as the base for calculating the limit.

WHO and AHA Guidelines Explained

The maximum recommended **daily sugar goal** is typically based on a percentage of your total **daily calorie goal**:

**Moderate Limit (WHO Maximum):** $10\%$ of total calories. This is the absolute maximum recommended **added sugar limit**.
**Strict Limit (AHA Ideal):** $5\%$ of total calories. The **AHA guidelines** recommend aiming for this stricter limit for optimal **heart health**.

The calculation uses the standard conversion: **$4$ calories per gram of sugar**. The result is also converted into **teaspoons of sugar** ($1$ teaspoon $\approx 4.2$ grams) for an easily visualized metric.

Tracking Sugar in Grams and Teaspoons

Most food labels list sugar in **grams**, while public health campaigns often use **teaspoons of sugar** for clarity. By knowing your maximum **sugar in grams**, you can easily check nutrition labels to ensure you stay under the **added sugar limit**. Remember that this calculator addresses *added* sugars, not naturally occurring sugars found in whole fruits and plain dairy.

Sugar Intake FAQs

What is the difference between total sugar and added sugar?

This calculator focuses on the **added sugar limit**. **Added sugar** includes sugars and syrups put into processed foods. **Total sugar** includes both **added sugar** and naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit). The **WHO** and **AHA guidelines** only recommend limiting **added sugar**.

How many grams of sugar are in one teaspoon?

There are approximately **$4.2$ grams of sugar per teaspoon**. The **Sugar Intake Calculator** provides your limit in both **grams** and **teaspoons of sugar** to help you visualize your **daily sugar goal**.

Are the AHA guidelines or WHO guidelines stricter?

The **AHA guidelines** are generally stricter, recommending a **$5\%$ of calories** limit for optimal **heart health**. The **WHO guidelines** set the limit at $10\%$ of calories, though they recommend aiming lower ($\leq 5\%$) if possible.