Nutrition: Added Sugars

Added sugars are sugars added to foods and beverages by manufacturers during processing. They add calories to the diet, but little or no nutritional value. Research shows that high intake of added sugars is associated with health harms such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Of all food and beverage categories, sugary drinks provide the most added sugar in the typical diet in the U.S. Desserts and sweet snacks also provide a large amount of added sugar to the diet.

Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks are beverages with added sugars. They include soda and sweetened tea, as well as sports, energy and juice drinks.

It is easy to have too much sugar when you drink sugary drinks. One 20-ounce soda, sweetened tea or energy drink can have more than 70 grams of added sugars — that’s over 17 teaspoons or more than 250 calories. This is more than the recommended limit for most people. Blended coffee drinks, hot chocolate, fruit punch, bubble tea and smoothies can also have a lot of added sugar.

The companies that sell many of these drinks spend hundreds of millions of dollars on ads. They promote the idea that sugary drinks are fine if you exercise and eat healthy. When you see ads like this, think about the message they are sending and why. Sugary drinks are high in calories and have little to no nutritional value. Drinking them is associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cavities and weight gain. Water and seltzer water are always healthy options you can drink instead.

Healthier Choices

Small changes make a big difference. Consider these points to help you and your family have less added sugar:

• Sugary drinks are not recommended for anyone, but especially not for children.
• Drink plenty of water. Try NYC's high quality tap water and save both money and calories. Add lemon, lime or a splash of juice for a bit of flavor.
• When choosing dessert, share with someone else. Or, split a large dessert in half and save some for later.
• If you do have sweets or sugary drinks, choose a smaller size. Smaller portions have less added sugar.
• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking juice. You'll get fiber, which is important for your health.
• Ask for coffee and tea with no sugar. Add your own if you need a little sweetener.
• Check the Nutrition Facts label to see if foods are low or high in added sugars. Look at the % Daily Value (DV):
• 5% DV or less is low in added sugars.
• 20% DV or more is high in added sugars.
• Choose foods low in added sugars more often.

Added Sugars Warning Rule

NYC is the first city in the nation to require chain restaurants to post an added sugars icon next to menu items that contain at least 50 grams of added sugars. Two separate laws were passed by City Council in 2022 and 2023. The rule requires restaurants with 15 or more locations nationwide to post a warning icon next to high added sugars menu items and a message about the health risks of high added sugars intake over time.

This rule helps New Yorkers to have more information when making decisions about their diets and their health when purchasing items at chain restaurants.

For questions about the added sugars warning label icon, contact sugar@health.nyc.gov.