Added Sugar Limit
The WHO advises keeping added sugar under 10% of daily calories, ideally under 5%. Sugar is 4 kcal a gram, so 10% of 2,000 kcal is 50 g — roughly twelve sugar cubes.
Your numbers
Added-sugar limit
50g
Calories
200kcal
Count
12.5
Formula
Added-sugar limit = Calories × Percentage ÷ 100 ÷ 4
Sugar naturally present in whole fruit does not count against this. The cap is for sugar added in cooking and processing.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Calories (kcal)Energy, in kilocalories. | 2,000 | 500 and up |
| Percentage (%)A share expressed out of 100. | 10 | 1 ~ 25 |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Calories (kcal) changes and everything else stays put.
| Calories (kcal) | Added-sugar limit (g) | Calories (kcal) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 25 | 100 | 6.3 |
| 1,500 | 37.5 | 150 | 9.4 |
| 2,000 | 50 | 200 | 12.5 |
| 3,000 | 75 | 300 | 18.8 |
| 4,000 | 100 | 400 | 25 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Added-sugar limit (g)The daily added-sugar figure to stay under. | 50 |
| Calories (kcal)Energy, in kilocalories. | 200 |
| CountA plain count of items; it often ends up as the denominator. | 12.5 |
Common mistakes
Sugar naturally present in whole fruit does not count against this. The cap is for sugar added in cooking and processing.
Glossary
- Calories
- Energy, in kilocalories.
- Percentage
- A share expressed out of 100.
- Added-sugar limit
- The daily added-sugar figure to stay under.
- Count
- A plain count of items; it often ends up as the denominator.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Added Sugar Limit calculated?
Added-sugar limit = Calories × Percentage ÷ 100 ÷ 4 — The WHO advises keeping added sugar under 10% of daily calories, ideally under 5%. Sugar is 4 kcal a gram, so 10% of 2,000 kcal is 50 g — roughly twelve sugar cubes.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Calories 2,000kcal, Percentage 10%, the answer is Added-sugar limit 50g.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Calories, Percentage. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Calories (kcal) moves the answer to Calories (kcal) 1,000 → Added-sugar limit (g) 25 and Calories (kcal) 4,000 → Added-sugar limit (g) 100. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
Sugar naturally present in whole fruit does not count against this. The cap is for sugar added in cooking and processing.
Related calculators
These calculators help you understand health figures; they do not replace diagnosis or prescription. See a clinician if you have symptoms.