How to work out how much sugar is in the food and drinks we eat
All food labels list carbohydrates (of which sugars) in grams. That’s why Public Health England use grams as the measurement to tell you if food or drink contains too much sugar.
It’s useful to know that 4g = 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1 sugar cube. Adults should have no more than 7.5 teaspoons/sugar cubes per day (30g).
To help you visualise what this much sugar looks like, here’s how some of your favourite foods measure up in teaspoons/sugar cubes:
| Food or Drink | Teaspoons* | Grams* |
|---|---|---|
| 40g chocolate bar | 6.5 | 26 |
| 500ml bottle of Cola | 13.5 | 54 |
| 120g flapjack | 7.5 | 30 |
| 30g bowl of frosted cereal | 2.75 | 11 |
| 200g baked beans | 2.5 | 10 |
| 1 large dollop of ketchup | 1 | 4 |
*based on approx. quantities, taking an average from a collation of popular brands and supermarket products
This resource was created by Sheffield’s Sweet Enough
Sheffield’s Sweet Enough is a campaign run by Sheffield City Council and partners to help local families, food businesses, schools and healthcare professionals tackle the harms caused by eating too much sugar.
Together with our partners, which includes the NHS, Sheffield’s universities, colleges, Trading Standards and the voluntary sector, we’re here to share helpful facts, sugar swaps, tips and advice for all ages.