How much sugar should kids have? What US and Canadian guidelines say
Most parents know kids should have “less sugar,” but the official advice uses different words and numbers depending on who’s giving it. This guide lays out what the main health organizations in the US and Canada actually say, what “added” and “free” sugars mean, and how to make sense of the grams on a package.
This is general information, not medical advice. If your child has diabetes or another health condition, follow the plan from their doctor or dietitian.
Added sugars vs free sugars vs total sugars
These three terms come up again and again, and they aren’t the same thing.
- Total sugars are all the sugars in a food, including those that occur naturally in fruit and milk. This is what the Canadian Nutrition Facts table shows.
- Added sugars is the term the US uses, and it’s on the US Nutrition Facts label. The FDA defines it as sugars added during processing (such as sucrose or dextrose), sugars sold as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. It doesn’t include the sugars naturally found in milk, fruit and vegetables.
- Free sugars is the term used by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Canada. It includes sugars added to food and drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, plus the sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. It doesn’t include the sugars in whole or cut fruit and vegetables, or in plain milk.
The main difference to remember: the “free sugars” definition clearly counts the sugar in fruit juice, including 100% juice. So a guideline written in terms of free sugars is a little broader than one written in terms of added sugars.
What the American Heart Association says
In a scientific statement published in the journal Circulation, the American Heart Association (AHA) concluded it is reasonable to recommend that:
- Children aged 2 to 18 have 25 grams or less of added sugars a day. That’s about 6 teaspoons, or about 100 calories.
- Children under 2 avoid added sugars altogether.
The writing group also noted that few children manage to stay at that level, which is why they called it an important public health target.
What the US Dietary Guidelines say
The US government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans were updated for 2025 to 2030, and the advice on added sugars got stricter. According to the CDC’s summary of the new guidelines:
- Children younger than 11 should not have any added sugar.
- Adolescents and adults should limit added sugars to no more than 10 grams per meal.
- No amount of added sugars or non-nutritive (zero-calorie) sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy diet.
The previous edition (2020 to 2025) advised people aged 2 and older to keep added sugars below 10% of daily calories, so you’ll still see that figure quoted in older articles and on some government pages.
What Health Canada and Canada’s Food Guide say
Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, which sit behind Canada’s Food Guide, recommend limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total energy (calories). That figure comes directly from the WHO.
Health Canada’s guidelines also point out that:
- Drinks that contain free sugars, including 100% fruit juice, have been linked to a higher risk of tooth decay in children.
- 100% juice, sweetened milks and sweetened soy drinks do provide nutrients, but they can increase free sugar intake.
- You don’t need sugar substitutes to cut back on free sugars. The guidelines say there are no well-established health benefits from sweeteners and recommend choosing foods and drinks that are unsweetened instead.
What the World Health Organization says
The WHO’s guideline on sugars applies to both adults and children:
- Strong recommendation: keep free sugars below 10% of total energy intake.
- Conditional recommendation: a further reduction to below 5% would bring additional benefits. The WHO puts that at roughly 25 grams, or about 6 teaspoons, a day.
Because these limits are a percentage of calories, the number of grams depends on how much a person eats. A young child who eats less than an adult would reach 10% or 5% with fewer grams.
How to turn grams into teaspoons
Labels list sugar in grams, which is hard to picture. Both the AHA and the WHO describe 25 grams of sugar as about 6 teaspoons. That works out to roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon.
So to get a rough idea, divide the grams of sugar by 4:
| Grams of sugar on the label | About how many teaspoons |
|---|---|
| 4 g | 1 tsp |
| 8 g | 2 tsp |
| 12 g | 3 tsp |
| 20 g | 5 tsp |
| 25 g | 6 tsp |
This is an approximation for picturing amounts, not an exact measurement.
Putting the numbers into practice
Here’s what the AHA’s 25-gram limit looks like in practice. It’s a daily total, across everything a child eats and drinks.
- If a snack’s US label says “Includes 12 g Added Sugars,” that one snack is about half of the AHA’s daily limit for a child over 2.
- If a drink has 24 g of added sugars, it uses up nearly the whole day’s limit on its own.
- In Canada, the label shows total sugars, so for a product made with fruit or milk, not all of that number is added sugar. Check the ingredient list to see what’s been added (see our guide on how to read a candy label).
On Halloween this can be useful context rather than a strict rule. Knowing that a few fun-size candies can add up to a day’s worth of added sugar may help you decide how much to hand out each day after Halloween. Our guide on what to do with leftover Halloween candy has ideas.
Drinks are a big source
Sugary drinks come up in almost every set of guidelines. The CDC lists sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts and sweet snacks as leading sources of added sugars in the US diet. Health Canada notes that sugary drinks include soft drinks, fruit juice, and sweetened milks, coffees and teas, and recommends water, unsweetened milk or fortified soy drinks, and fruit instead.
For juice specifically, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no fruit juice for babies under 12 months, no more than 4 to 6 ounces (120 to 180 ml) a day for children aged 1 to 6, and whole fruit over juice for older children.
Simple ways to cut back
- Offer water and plain milk as the everyday drinks.
- Serve whole fruit instead of juice when you can.
- Compare labels and pick the version with less added sugar (US) or a lower % Daily Value for sugars (Canada).
- Make some treats at home so you control the sugar. See our healthy dessert swaps and make-it-at-home recipes.
- Keep sweets as a planned treat rather than an all-day snack.
Sources
- Vos MB, et al. Added sugars and cardiovascular disease risk in children: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2017.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Added sugars (summary of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030)
- Health Canada: Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, Section 2: Foods and beverages that undermine healthy eating
- World Health Organization: WHO calls on countries to reduce sugars intake among adults and children
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Where we stand: fruit juice
- US Food and Drug Administration: Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label