The target, in grams
The World Health Organization's 2015 guideline on sugars recommends keeping free sugars under 10% of total energy intake, with a further, conditional recommendation to go below 5%. In practice, for an adult eating around 2,000 calories:
| Share of energy | Roughly | About the same as |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10% | 50 g free sugars a day | 12 level teaspoons |
| Under 5% | 25 g free sugars a day | 6 level teaspoons |
A level teaspoon of sugar is about 4 g. Children need less, and the right number for you depends on your energy needs, so treat this as a yardstick, not a personal prescription.
Find your starting point
Before changing anything, spend three ordinary days noticing where sugar comes in. You don't need an app; a note on your phone is fine. Most people find it clusters in a few places:
- Drinks: soft drinks, juice, sweetened coffee and tea.
- Breakfast: cereals, flavoured yogurts, pastries, sweetened granola.
- Snacks: biscuits, cereal bars, sweets.
- Sauces: ketchup, barbecue sauce, sweet chilli, some pasta sauces and dressings.
Pick the biggest cluster first. That's where one change makes the most difference.
A six-week plan
- Week 1: drinks. Replace one sugary drink a day with water, sparkling water or unsweetened tea. If you take sugar in hot drinks, use a little less each time.
- Week 2: breakfast. Move to a cereal or yogurt with less added sugar, and add fruit for sweetness. See the breakfast ideas.
- Week 3: snacks. Keep one planned treat a day if you like it, and make the other snacks fruit, nuts, cheese, or crackers with hummus.
- Week 4: sauces and condiments. Compare labels on what you use most and switch to lower-sugar versions where they exist.
- Week 5: baking and desserts. Most home recipes still work with a quarter to a third less sugar. Cinnamon, vanilla and ripe fruit help fill the gap.
- Week 6: review. Repeat the three-day check. Keep what worked; drop what didn't.
Why gradual works
How sweet a food tastes to you is partly learned. Many people find that after a few weeks of eating less sugar, their old favourites taste sweeter than they remembered. That shift is gradual and varies from person to person, which is why the plan moves one area at a time.
Things that make it easier
- Don't leave long gaps without food. Very hungry people reach for quick sugar. Regular meals with some protein and fibre help.
- Keep treats, but on purpose. A dessert you chose and enjoy is different from biscuits eaten out of the packet while working.
- Change what's in sight. A fruit bowl on the counter and the biscuit tin in a cupboard is a small nudge that adds up.
- Expect slips. A birthday cake doesn't undo anything. Carry on the next day.
If you have diabetes, take medicines that lower blood glucose, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to your clinician before making changes. Cutting sugar suddenly can matter for people on some medications.