How much added sugar is too much? Daily limits and where it hides

Added sugar is one of the easiest numbers to keep an eye on, once you know where to look. Here’s how much the main health groups suggest, how to spot it on a label, and the everyday foods where it tends to hide.

How much added sugar is too much?

The American Heart Association suggests no more than about 6 teaspoons a day for most women and 9 for men.

That’s about 100 calories of added sugar for women and 150 for men, or no more than 6% of calories. In grams, Imi counts it as under 25 g for women and 36 g for men.

The FDA’s Daily Value of 50 g is the number behind the %DV on food labels. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say no amount of added sugar is needed, and that one meal should have no more than 10 g.

What counts as added sugar?

Sugars and syrups put into food during cooking or processing, or at the table.

Table sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave and fruit juice concentrate all count. The sugar naturally in plain milk, whole fruit and vegetables doesn’t. So a pear and a pear-flavored candy can both list sugar, but only the candy’s counts as added.

How do I find it on a label?

Look for the “Includes added sugars” line under “Total sugars” on the Nutrition Facts label.

The FDA’s rule of thumb for the %DV column: 5% or less is low, and 20% or more is high. One teaspoon of sugar is about 4 grams, so 12 g of added sugar is about 3 teaspoons.

If there’s no label, read the ingredients. The Dietary Guidelines suggest looking for words with “sugar” or “syrup,” or that end in “-ose.” Common names include:

• Cane sugar, brown sugar, beet sugar, turbinado sugar
• Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, agave syrup
• Dextrose, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose
• Honey, molasses, fruit juice concentrate

The added sugar label checker looks up a packaged food and shows its added sugar against the daily limit.

Where does added sugar hide?

Mostly in drinks, sweets and baked goods, and in foods that don’t taste very sweet.

The FDA names sugar-sweetened drinks, baked goods, desserts and sweets as the main sources for most Americans. The AHA adds sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened yogurt, flavored milk, and breakfast cereals and bars.

Some less obvious places:

Rounded USDA FoodData Central values for total sugars, except the soda row, which is from the AHA. Check the “added sugars” line on your own label.

Does the sugar in fruit count?

No. Sugar inside whole fruit isn’t added sugar, and fruit brings fiber with it.

Juice is different. The NIDDK lists juice among the sweet drinks to limit, and the Dietary Guidelines list fruit juice concentrate as an added sugar when it’s used to sweeten a food.

What are the easiest ways to cut back?

Start with drinks, then breakfast, then sauces and snacks.

• Swap the drink. Water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or plain milk. The NIDDK suggests all of these.
• Buy plain, sweeten it yourself. Plain yogurt or oatmeal with fruit and cinnamon usually has far less added sugar than the flavored version.
• Trim the sugar in recipes. Many baked goods and sauces still taste good with a third less.
• Compare two labels. Cereals, granolas, bars and pasta sauces vary a lot between brands.
• Keep sweets as sweets. Enjoy dessert on purpose, in a portion you like, rather than in foods you didn’t expect.

How does Imi help?

Imi tracks added sugar every day against the AHA limits it uses: under 25 g for women and 36 g for men.

On the blood sugar focus, fiber is tracked too, and carbs are spread across your meals. Ask Imi to “Remake this curry with less added sugar” and it rewrites the recipe for you. It shows your glucose readings from Apple Health next to your meals, and never labels them.

See what Imi plans for blood sugar, try the label checker, or read prediabetes breakfast ideas.