Eating style
Low-sugar eating
The limit is on free sugars, not the sugar in whole fruit or milk. What the guidelines say and how to find recipes with no added sugar.
Free sugars, not all sugars
Guidelines target free sugars: any sugar added by a manufacturer, cook or consumer, plus the sugar in honey, syrups, fruit juice and smoothies. Sugar inside whole fruit, vegetables and milk does not count, and there is no need to cut it. Labels and our recipe pages show total sugars, which mixes the two together, so the ingredient list tells you more than the number.
How much
The WHO recommends keeping free sugars under 10% of daily calories and says that getting below 5%, roughly 25 g or six teaspoons, would bring further benefit. The NHS uses the 5% figure: no more than 30 g a day for adults, about seven sugar cubes. The American Heart Association suggests 6% of calories, around six teaspoons for most women and nine for most men.
The European Food Safety Authority reviewed the evidence in 2022 and could not set a tolerable upper limit. It concluded that intake of added and free sugars should be as low as possible within a nutritionally adequate diet. In other words, less is better, and no particular number marks a safe line.
Where it is easiest to cut
Sugary drinks are the quickest win: one 355 ml can of regular soft drink holds about ten teaspoons. Keep fruit juice and smoothies to 150 ml a day. After drinks, the common sources are sweets, ice cream, sweetened yoghurts, breakfast cereals and cereal bars. Sauces and snack bars sold as healthy are worth a label check.
The shelf below lists recipes with no sugar, honey or syrup among their ingredients. For baking and desserts, fruit, spices and vanilla carry some of the sweetness; if you still want sugar, use less and count it. The sugar filter in the recipe search sets a ceiling on total sugars per serving.
Worth knowing
- Honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar and fruit juice concentrate are all free sugars. Swapping one for another does not lower your intake.
- This is not a guide to managing diabetes. If you have diabetes or take glucose-lowering medication, follow the plan agreed with your care team.
- Aim for less, not none. A dessert you have planned for fits within these limits.
Common questions
Does fruit count towards my sugar limit?
Whole fruit does not. Unsweetened juice and smoothies do count as free sugars, and the NHS suggests keeping them to 150 ml a day in total.
Why does a recipe with no added sugar still show sugar?
The figure is total sugars, so it includes the natural sugar in fruit, vegetables and dairy. A tomato sauce or a bowl of fruit and yoghurt will show several grams without any sugar being added.
Sources
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Speak to a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation.
