The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people aged 2 and older limit added sugars to less than 10% of their total daily calories. For example, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, no more than 200 calories should come from added sugars. This is about 12 teaspoons of added sugar.
For children under 2, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no added sugars.
Here are some tips to reduce added sugars in your diet:
Check labels
Use the Nutrition Facts label to see if foods are high or low in added sugars. Foods with 5% Daily Value (DV) or less are low in added sugars, while foods with 20% DV or more are high.
Limit sweets
Save sweets for special occasions and treat yourself to them every so often.
Reduce the size of your drink
Order a soda with less soda or a boba drink with 50% sweetness.
Limit fruit juice and smoothies
Limit the amount of fruit juice and smoothies you drink to a maximum of 150 ml (a small glass) per day. Drink them with meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Added sugars are sugars that are added to foods and drinks during preparation, processing, or at the table. Some major sources of added sugar include syrups, sweets, jams, jellies, chocolate syrup, honey, and molasses.