It probably isn’t news to you that added sugars are not your best friend. Usually, excess sugar intake is an easy way to gain excess weight because added sugars are empty calories.
However, the good news is that after you meet your daily nutritional needs, you have some daily discretionary calories to spare. These are extra calories you can spend on things like added sugar, although The American Heart Association suggests that an individual should only spend about half of their daily discretional calories on added sugar.
On average, this means about 100 calories, or 6 teaspoons of sugar, for women and 150 calories, or 9 teaspoons of sugar, for men (this is based on someone with a more sedentary lifestyle so if you work out a lot, you probably consume and burn more daily calories).
One teaspoon is about 4 grams of sugar. This means women should only consume about 24 grams of sugar per day and men should only consume about 36 grams of sugar per day.
I figured the best way to address the distressing truth of added sugar in all of our favorite drinks was to compare the amount of sugar with Hershey’s Kisses. For reference: a Hershey’s Kiss has about 2.5 grams of sugar (way below the daily serving suggestion, so treat yourself and eat five?). All of the drinks in this list are based on the number of grams of sugar per 20oz of the drink.
Minute Maid
Photo by Mike Mozart
Average Amount of Sugar: 71 grams (or 17.75 teaspoons)
Strawberry Lemonade: 50 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.08 servings (women), 1.38 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: About 83 strawberries or about 4 McDonald’s baked apple pies.
I honestly don’t even know if I could eat 83 strawberries in one sitting (but if you’re willing to put money on the line, call me).
Lemonade/Pink Lemonade: 67 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.79 servings (women), 1.86 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: Almost 5 bananas or a little over 5 glasses of milk
Just imagining eating either of those makes my stomach hurt.
Peach: 74 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.08 servings (women), 2.05 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 3 cups of Neuman’s spaghetti sauce or about 8 Big Macs
No and definitely no.
Raspberry Lemonade/Orangeade: 75 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.12 servings (women), 2.08 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 3.75 chocolate Pop-Tarts or 6 Quaker Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars
Almost two packets of Pop-Tarts is gross and I’ve only eaten 6 Quaker Bars in a row like once or twice.
Limeade: 77.5 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.22 servings (women), 2.15 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 6 and a half packets of Strawberries & Cream Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal or almost 6 and a half bowls of Honey Nut Cheerios
I usually eat two packets of oatmeal because I effing love oatmeal and like to treat myself and it’s extremely filling, so eating three times that would probably result in feeling miserable.
Cherry Limeade: 82.5 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.43 servings (women), 2.29 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 4.3 packets of Swiss Miss Chocolate (with marshmallows obviously because what monster drinks hot chocolate without marshmallows) or 14 Eggo Cinnamon Toast Waffles
I don’t even think 8-year-old me, who basically lived off of Eggo waffles, could handle 14 of them.
Pepsi-Cola
Photo by Mike Mozart
Average Amount of Sugar: 51.2 grams (or 12.8 teaspoons)
Brisk Iced Tea & Lemonade: 27 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.125 servings (women), 0.75 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 148 pretzel crisps or 27 1.5 oz bags of Stacy’s Pita Chips
This drink isn’t the worst drink to have in terms of sugar content. It might actually be the best choice but it’s still over the daily serving suggestion (for women) so if you want to live a little, maybe choose this option.
Lipton Half and Half Iced Tea & Lemonade: 30 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.25 servings (women), 0.83 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 5 cups of Tabasco sauce or 7.5 tablespoons of Heinz Ketchup
This is also not the worst choice but let me know if 7.5 tablespoons sounds appetizing.
Gatorade (all flavors): 34 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.41 servings (women), 0.94 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 85 grapes or 10 Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
I may have done both of these in the past. I may have accomplished this multiple times, I might be doing it right now.
Brisk Pink Lemonade: 45 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.87 servings (women), 1.25 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 4.5 cups of diced watermelon or 1.25 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Again, I’m not saying this is unlikely, but also I’d definitely rather indulge in a handful (or cupful) of chocolate chips than waste the opportunity on a sugary drink.
Brisk Fruit Punch: 46 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.91 servings (women), 1.27 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: More than 7 pieces of Bubblicious gum or about 10 Oreo cookies
I can barely chew one piece of Bubblicious gum and I usually stop at… 6 Oreos.
Brisk Lemonade: 47 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.95 servings (women), 1.30 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 47 sugar snap peas or 36 avocados
I probably could, but would not eat 47 snap peas. And I probably would never/could never eat 36 avocados.
Pepsi-cola: 66 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.75 servings (women), 1.83 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 110 eggs or about 20 tomatoes
Eggs probably aren’t your go-to sugary snack but just work with me here.
Pepsi: 69 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.87 servings (women), 1.91 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 23 glazed munchkins or almost 3 strawberry frosted donuts from Dunkin’
I would choose to indulge in Dunkin’ baked goods over a soda every single day of the week.
Mug Root Beer: 71 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.95 servings (women), 1.97 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: Almost 8 Fruit and Nut KIND bars or about 12 kiwis
KIND bars rock but I don’t think I could force myself to eat eight of them in the same amount of time I could finish a 20 oz. drink.
Mountain Dew: 77 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.20 servings (women), 2.13 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: About 5 cups of pineapple or 8 and a half sugar cookies
Back to my cookie-eating abilities, I could maybe eat eight sugar cookies in one sitting, but then I have to look at my life and my choices.
Coca-Cola
Photo by Kevin Dang
Average Amount of Sugar: 70.1 grams (or 17.5 teaspoons)
Dr. Pepper/Dr. Pepper Cherry/Sprite Lemon Lime or Cranberry: 64 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.66 servings (women), 1.77 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 10 cups of peanuts or 32 pieces of Wonder Bread
I would never consume either of these things in these quantities.
Original Coke: 65 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.70 servings (women), 1.80 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: about 29 Trader Joe’s Yogurt-Covered Pretzels or 9 clementines
Vanilla or Cherry/Dr. Pepper Cherry Vanilla: 70 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.91 servings (women), 1.94 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: A little over 4 cups of Cap’n Crunch or 24 carrots
I’ve certainly eaten 3-4 servings of Cap’n Crunch before but I wouldn’t necessarily say I was proud of myself after?
Fanta Orange: 73 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.04 servings (women), 2.02 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: more than 2 Milky Way bars or 2 cups of sweetened apple sauce
If you’re going to eat 73 grams of sugar it better be on two Milky Way bars and not a bottle of Fanta. There is no competition.
Fanta Strawberry/Pineapple: 80 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.33 servings (women), 2.22 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 11 and a half cups of blackberries or 10 Tootsie Pops
Even though both of those sound delicious… you’d 100% feel sick if you tried to eat 10 lollipops.
Fanta Grape: 81 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 3.37 servings (women), 2.25 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: a little over 16 cups of raspberries or over 17 mini Reese’s Cups
Reese’s are my favorite chocolate indulgence (peanut butter and chocolate, the world’s most perfect combo), and I still don’t think I’ve eaten 17 in a row.
Other Fan Favorites
Average Amount of Sugar: 39.28 grams (or 9.8 teaspoons)
Vitamin Water Lemonade: 31 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.29 servings (women), 0.86 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 5 Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies or 8 pieces of Dove Dark Chocolate
Eating five cookies or eight pieces of chocolate is not something I’m new to but maybe I should try to keep it to four cookies and six pieces? No promises.
Nesquik Chocolate Milk/Strawberry Milk: 31.4 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.30 servings (women), 0.87 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: Almost 9 Jolly Ranchers or 78 mini marshmallows
I was pretty surprised at the amount of mini marshmallows it takes to get to this amount of sugar, so maybe I’ll eat more mini marshmallows.
Vitamin Water (all flavors except Lemonade): 32 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.33 servings (women), 0.88 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: About 7 strawberry Twizzlers or almost 4 Twix bars
I could handle either of these things.
Arnold Palmer Half & Half: 32 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 1.33 servings (women), 0.88 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: A little more than a bag of Rolo mini chocolates or 3 and a half AirHeads
You could convince me to do both of these things so I’d say you could also convince me to drink Arnold Palmer pretty easily.
Mott’s Apple Juice: 70 grams
Photo by Nicole Witte
Number of Suggested Daily Serving Size: 2.91 servings (women), 1.94 servings (men)
For this amount of sugar, you could be eating: 1 and a half bags of Skittles or more than 2 M&M cookies from Panera
Those Panera cookies are pretty big… So if you wouldn’t eat two of those, you might rethink drinking a lot of this juice.
These numbers might be dismal, but if you apply the “everything in moderation” rule, you might be okay. Next time you go to drink one of these, think about splitting it with a friend (or two) or maybe drinking some and saving the rest in the fridge for another day. But also remember, everyone has a cheat day.