Most guidelines suggest keeping added sugar under about 30g a day — roughly seven teaspoons. The key word is "added": the sugar naturally in whole fruit and plain dairy isn't the problem. Here's how to think about sugar without fearing it.
Added vs natural sugar
- Added sugar is put into food and drink during processing — fizzy drinks, sweets, biscuits, many sauces and "healthy" snacks. This is what the ~30g guideline targets.
- Natural sugar comes packaged with fibre, water and nutrients in whole fruit, vegetables and plain dairy. It behaves very differently and you don't need to count it the same way.
So a banana and a can of cola both contain sugar, but they are not the same thing.
Why it matters
Added sugar adds calories with little fullness, so it's easy to overconsume and it crowds out more filling food. Cutting it is one of the simplest ways to lower calories without feeling deprived. It often hides in ultra-processed foods — see also is sugar free actually healthy.
How to stay under ~30g
- Check labels for "of which sugars", and watch drinks especially (how to read a food label).
- Swap the obvious wins: fizzy drinks → water or diet; flavoured yoghurt → plain Greek yoghurt; cereal → protein oats.
- Lead with protein and fibre, which blunt sugar cravings (how much fibre per day).
Don't fear it — manage it
You don't need zero sugar. A bit of added sugar in an otherwise good diet is fine — the goal is keeping it modest, not perfect.
See the sugar you actually eat
forme tracks sugar alongside your calories and macros and scores food for your goals — so 'less sugar' becomes a number you can see, not a guess.
The bottom line
Aim to keep added sugar under ~30g a day; don't sweat the natural sugar in whole fruit and dairy. Read labels, swap the easy wins, and lead with protein and fibre. This is general information, not medical or dietary advice.