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How Much Added Sugar Are You Really Eating? 

By: Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.
Some foods, like milk and fruit, have natural sugar in them. But many processed foods have “added sugars” — sweeteners such as honey, fruit juice concentrate and cane sugar that are added to give food flavor. Too many added sugars can cause problems for your health.
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The Dangers of Added Sugar

Added sugars are full of empty calories and might even raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes. That’s why the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men. See how these foods stack up.

Note: 1 sugar cube = 1 teaspoon

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A photo showing the amount of added sugar in 1 cup of canned peaches.
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©

Canned Fruit in Heavy Syrup: 1 cup, 37 grams added sugars (9 1/4 sugar cubes)

Canned fruit can be a good way to get a serving of fruit in your diet. Just make sure to choose fruit packed in juice or water. If it’s canned in heavy syrup, you’re getting almost a quarter-cup of added sugar.

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A photo showing the amount of added sugar in a 20 ounce sports drink.
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©

Sports Drinks: 20 ounces, 8 teaspoons added sugars (8 sugar cubes)

Energy drinks get their “energy” from — you got it — sugar! You might think they’re healthier than soda, but they have almost as much sugar; for comparison, a 16-ounce “serving” of soda has 8 sugar cubes, too.

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A photo showing the amount of added sugar in a 16 ounce pumpkin spice latte.
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©

Nonfat Pumpkin Latte: 16 ounces, 29 grams added sugars (7.25 sugar cubes)

Do you like sugar in your coffee? Great. Add some. Chances are you wouldn’t add nearly as much sugar as the coffee shop adds by pumping in flavored syrups. 

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