Sugar is a type of simple carbohydrate. There are several types of sugar, and it can come in different forms either naturally occurring or they can be added to different foods and drinks.
Whole fruit contains fibre, vitamins, minerals and some natural sugar. Fructose is the type of sugar within whole fruit and vegetables. Milk and milk products also contain naturally occurring sugar (lactose). These types of sugar are not considered ‘free sugar’ and therefore we do not need to reduce the amount of these products in our diets.
‘Free sugars’ are those added to food or drinks, or sugars found naturally in things such as honey and syrups, as well as unsweetened fruit/vegetable juices, smoothies and purées, which should be kept to a maximum of 150ml per day, as ‘free sugars’ are released during the juicing process. The government recommends that adults should have no more than 30g of ‘free sugars’ a day. In the UK we are consuming more than this recommendation.
Foods that are high in ‘free sugars’ include sugar-sweetened drinks; fizzy drinks, juice, energy drinks, squashes and alcoholic drinks, cereal-based products; biscuits, cakes, pastries and sweetened breakfast cereals, confectionery; chocolate, chocolate spread and sweets, dairy products; sweetened flavoured milk and sweetened yogurts.
Overtime too many calories from any source will cause weight gain. Sugary foods and drinks are easy to overconsume and could contribute to an excess calorie intake, leading to weight gain. Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of insulin resistance, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
How much sugar we are consuming is not always obvious. Use the resources below to discover different ways to help grow your sugar awareness.
NHS food scanner App – Scan the barcode of your favourite foods to reveal things such as nutritional information and sugar content. It can also suggest healthier alternatives.
Sugar quiz – Can you guess how many teaspoons of sugar there are in a can of Coca Cola? Test your sugar awareness by taking this quiz put together by The Guardian.
Further support
NHS – Learn different facts about sugar.
Diabetes UK – Eating healthy to help manage blood glucose.
British Heart Foundation – How to cut back on sugar without noticing.
British Dietetic Association (BDA) – Sugar and your health.
Sources:
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/sugar/
Ref: WPW0230 this information was updated February 2025.
