Added Sugar Checker for Kids
Add up a day from the "Includes Xg Added Sugars" line on the labels in your kitchen, or from the common items below, and see it in grams, teaspoons, and as a share of what your child's age calls for. The limits are the ones on our daily needs chart, from the same sources. Nothing you type here leaves your browser.
Added sugar means sugar put in during processing or preparation. The sugar naturally in fruit, plain milk and vegetables is not part of this guidance and does not belong in the total.
The American Heart Association puts the ceiling at under 25 g of added sugar a day, roughly 6 teaspoons, for ages 2 to 18.
Add what they had today
Nothing added yet. The tables below work without any of this.
What a label number actually means
Grams of added sugar in teaspoons, and as a share of the 25 g day, at 4 g per teaspoon.
| On the label | Teaspoons | Of the day |
|---|---|---|
| 5 g | 1.3 | 20% |
| 8 g | 2 | 32% |
| 10 g | 2.5 | 40% |
| 12 g | 3 | 48% |
| 15 g | 3.8 | 60% |
| 20 g | 5 | 80% |
| 25 g | 6.3 | 100% |
| 30 g | 7.5 | 120% |
| 40 g | 10 | 160% |
Where it usually comes from
Ranges, not fixed numbers, because these vary by brand. Sweetened drinks are the single largest source in children's diets, which is why they head the list.
| Food or drink | Typical added sugar | Of the day | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 oz sweetened soda | 35 to 40 g | 140 to 160% | Almost entirely added sugar |
| 8 oz fruit juice drink (not 100% juice) | 20 to 25 g | 80 to 100% | Often marketed as healthy despite high added sugar |
| Flavored yogurt (6 oz) | 10 to 15 g | 40 to 60% | Plain yogurt with fresh fruit has little to none |
| Sweetened breakfast cereal (1 cup) | 10 to 12 g | 40 to 48% | Check the label; some cereals are far lower |
| Granola bar | 8 to 12 g | 32 to 48% | Varies widely by brand |
The swaps that move the number most
| Instead of | Try | Saves |
|---|---|---|
| A juice drink with lunch | Water or plain milk | about 20-25 g per serving |
| Pre-sweetened flavored yogurt | Plain yogurt with fresh fruit | about 10-15 g per serving |
| A sweetened breakfast cereal | A lower-sugar cereal, or oats with fruit | about 6-10 g per serving |
| A packaged granola or cereal bar | Fruit with a handful of nuts or cheese | about 8-12 g per serving |
Finding the number on a label
Under "Total Sugars" there is an indented line reading "Includes Xg Added Sugars". That indented number is the one this guidance is about. Total Sugars also counts the sugar already in the milk or the fruit. Two things make it quick to act on: the percent Daily Value beside it, where 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high, and the serving size at the top, because a package a child treats as one portion is often labelled as two or three.
The full reasoning, including what changed in the 2025-2030 federal guidance and why the 25 g figure is still worth tracking, is in how much added sugar is too much for kids. Teaching a child to find that line themselves is covered in how to teach kids to read a nutrition label, and healthy snack ideas for kids covers the snacks that carry none. Our recipes list every ingredient, so you can see what is in a meal before you cook it.
This is a general reference for healthy children, not medical advice, and the figures for packaged foods are approximate. The label on the product you own is always the better number. A child with diabetes or another condition affecting sugar intake should follow their care team's plan instead.