What is added sugar? What does no added sugar mean? And why does this need to be on your radar right now?

To put it simply: childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing, type 2 diabetes is appearing in younger kids than ever before, and dental issues are becoming increasingly common.

The culprit behind much of this? You guessed it – added sugar.

In this post, we’re pulling back the curtain on added sugars. Find out where they’re hiding in common kids foods, the real health impacts, and how to make informed choices about your kid’s nutrition. Because I know your child’s health isn’t something you want to gamble with!

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

Click below to jump to a section:

• Where do we find added sugar?
• Why do we want to limit added sugar?
• Dietary Implications
• Limiting Added Sugar
• What does no added sugar mean?
• What all counts as added sugar?
• Added sugar vs total sugar: What’s the difference?
• Guidelines for Kids
• What about artificial sweeteners for kids?
• What about sugar alcohols?
• What about monk fruit sweetener?
• Does milk have added sugar?
• Low Sugar Snacks for Kids (bars, peanut butter, yogurt, popsicles and more!)
• Sneaky Places Added Sugar Can Hide
• Ways to Reduce Added Sugar for Kids

Where do we find added sugar?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (it’s revised every 5 years to stay up to date with current nutritional research and recommendations) does address added sugar in the diet. 

“The leading sources of added sugars in the US diet are sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts and sweet snacks.”

So when you think “added sugar” you probably think of things like soda, sweetened fruit drinks, dessert foods, cookies, cakes, etc. 

But added sugar can also be found in other places like fruity yogurts, cereals, and even sandwich bread. We’ll talk more about where to spot excess added sugar in a bit. 

First, I want to talk about why we should really try to limit added sugar in the diet. (Without going all helicopter parent on it — we don’t need to restrict it completely!)

Why do we want to limit added sugar?

The American Heart Association says, “studies linking added sugars and conditions that lead to cardiovascular disease – the No. 1 cause of death in the world – have been around for years. Diets high in added sugars have been connected to heart risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels.”

For young kids, nutrient density is so important for their growing and developing bodies. 

When I say nutrient density, I mean a diet that has a mix of macronutrients and the requisite micronutrients; a diet that features things that give them sustained energy and no blood sugar spikes and crashes. 

Growing kids need adequate amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates to support optimal growth and development. 

Dietary implications

A diet that is high in added sugar can either crowd out other important nutrients and/or contribute to excess calorie intake, while lacking one or multiple macronutrients. 

For example, a sugar-sweetened beverage and a snack cake might give a child a burst of energy or make them feel full in the moment. But that snack of only simple carbohydrates with a good deal of added sugar lacks protein, fat, fiber, and essential vitamins and nutrients that contribute not only to fullness/energy, but also to muscle repair, brain development, and hormone health. 

If that pattern continues over time across meals and snacks, we’re likely to see some deficiencies in important nutrients and less than optimal health markers. I’m talking about things like sluggishness, fatigue, brain fog, reduced physical activity, poor sleep, constipation, etc.-not body size/weight. Body size on its own is a poor indicator of health status, as we know that people can be healthy at a range of body sizes. 

Limiting added sugar

We also want to enforce healthy habits and decision-making around food from a young age. 

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I don’t talk about restricting things too much. Making foods off-limits for kids usually backfires and makes them want the off-limits items even more.

Instead, I want us parents and caregivers to help kids learn their own boundaries. I want kids to learn what makes their bodies feel good/bad, not just have adults impose arbitrary limits about food and expect them to get on board. 

However, sugar is one of those tricky topics where kids often need a little bit more help.

Who can blame them? Sugar is delicious. Why wouldn’t they want a Coke and candy bar every day after school? 

I’m not here to villainize those things. I think there is absolutely a time and place for sweet foods. 

I just want to emphasize our kids’ overall dietary patterns and how we can impose some limits that help set them up for success and reduce the chances of any long-term issues related to overconsumption of added sugars. 

It’s not all or nothing

Remember, limiting doesn’t mean avoiding. It shouldn’t be stressful, overwhelming, or all consuming for you. It does NOT have to be perfect, and it’s not all or nothing. I promise you, there is a happy medium where kids can learn to enjoy sweet foods without going overboard on added sugars.

If that sounds absolutely crazy to you, check out my free Sweets e-book where I tackle some scenarios around sugar and how to navigate them if you’ve got a sweets-obsessed kid!

What does no added sugar mean?

People often get tripped up when it comes to guidelines and labeling about sugar.

If you see a product that says “no added sugar,” it doesn’t mean there isn’t sugar in it. WHAT?

Sugar by definition is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates. It encompasses all types and forms of sugar.

Added sugars include any sugars or caloric sweeteners that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation. Added sugars can include natural sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar, and honey, as well as other caloric sweeteners that are chemically manufactured (such as high fructose corn syrup).

If there is no added sugar, it means that the only sugar in that particular product is what is naturally present in its ingredients. They didn’t add any extra sugar during processing. A “no added sugar” food can still have a high total sugar content, that comes naturally from within the fruit or dairy ingredients. 

“No added sugar” foods may also include non-nutritive sweeteners, which are artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin. These non-nutritive artificial sweeteners don’t have calories or “count” as sugar. I’ll give you more of the low-down on artificial sugars shortly!

What all counts as added sugar?

When people think of sugar, they usually think of cane sugar. But there are several other names that added sugar can go by on nutrition labels. Here are a few: 

• corn syrup
• high-fructose corn syrup
• dextrose
• malt syrup
• molasses
• agave
• coconut sugar
• brown sugar
• honey
• maple syrup

Now you might be surprised to see honey and maple syrup on the list. People often think that these are “healthier” or have less sugar than other types of sweeteners. While they are more natural (and I personally think more flavorful!), they do still count as added sugars and should be limited along with the rest of added sugar. 

Added vs. total sugar: what is the difference?

Added sugar vs. total sugar is something that confuses people when they’re trying to decipher nutrition labels.

Total sugar is the sum of all the sugar: both naturally occurring and whatever is added in the product. 

Added sugar is simply the portion of that total number that has been added in the making/processing of the product. There isn’t a line on the label for naturally occurring sugar, but it would just be the total sugar minus the added sugar. 

Here is how you would understand the sugar content on a flavored yogurt. This one has 5 grams of added sugar (cane sugar) which is a little over a teaspoon. Since there are 8 grams of total sugar, that means there are 3 grams of naturally occurring sugar (lactose that naturally is part of milk).

We’re mostly concerned with added sugar. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be mindful of what the total sugar content is in the products our kids eat, but the recommendations are geared toward limiting added sugar in the diet because it doesn’t offer any nutritional upside. 

Usually, if the total sugar in a product is high but the added sugar is low, that’s because it’s a fruit-based product. Fruit is naturally sweet, and gets caught in the crossfire a lot in sugar conversations. I don’t worry as much about the naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit, because eating fruit also comes with tons of other benefits like fiber and lots of micronutrients. 

Here is a post I wrote about everything you need to know about fruit, including how much is too much. 

Guidelines for kids

Those same Dietary Guidelines for Americans that I mentioned above recommend that Americans 2 years and older keep their intake of added sugars to less than 10% of their total daily calories.

So for a young toddler who might be eating around 1000 calories a day, that would mean that no more than 100 of those calories come from added sugar. 100 calories is 6 teaspoons or 25 grams of sugar.

To put that into context, a serving of 3 Oreos contains 14 grams of added sugar. Am I saying they can never have Oreos? Of course not. But I would be mindful of overall sugar intake both for that particular day and in general to try to stay within these guidelines.

For children under age 2, the recommendation is to avoid added sugar completely. 

It’s probably impossible to avoid completely (especially with subsequent children) and it’s okay to serve things that have a few grams sometimes, but I would stick to doing that very rarely. 

What about artificial sweeteners for kids?

Okay, so food manufacturers got savvy and found ways to make foods sweet and palatable without loading them with added sugar. Sounds like a good thing, right?

Enter, artificial sweeteners. 

We touched on these briefly above, but I want to talk about them as they relate to our kids. 

 I personally like to limit the use of artificial sweeteners for kids. There isn’t tons of data on the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners in the diet for kids. In fact, some research suggests there could be long term negative effects from consistent consumption of artificial sweeteners in adults. 

I also like to limit them because artificial sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than sugar, depending on the type. I don’t want kids with developing taste buds only having a preference for things that are super, super sweet.

What about sugar alcohols?

Sugar alcohols are naturally occurring compounds derived from sugars. They are less sweet than table sugar and are used as sweeteners and bulking agents in many foods. Sugar alcohols are easy to identify on food labels because they usually end with the suffix -ol. Some common ones are mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, and maltitol.

Don’t get tripped up by the name- they are not alcoholic and not off limits for kids. However, they can be hard on the gut because your body can’t digest them. Small amounts are not aggravating to most people. But they aren’t my top choice for kids, because there aren’t studies that prove that long-term sugar alcohol exposure is safe. 

So I like to avoid serving foods with sugar alcohols to children 2 and under. And I would limit it for kids who are older.

What about monk fruit sweetener?

Monk fruit sweetener is one I’ve seen gain popularity in recent years! It’s technically called an alternative sweetener- not an artificial one because it’s made from a small Asian fruit. It is a non-nutritive sweetener, meaning it doesn’t add any calories or macronutrients to whatever product it is found in. 

It is similar to Stevia but not as sweet. Stevia is about 200-300x sweeter than table sugar while monk fruit is about 150x sweeter. 

Does milk have added sugar?

Regular milk does not have added sugar. Regular milk has lactose- which is naturally occurring milk sugar. It is actually the same naturally occurring sugar found in breastmilk! 

However, flavored milks like chocolate milk do have added sugar on top of the naturally occurring lactose. Also, alternative milks often add sugar to make them taste a little more appealing. Check the label of your favorite alternative milk to be sure you’re choosing the one with little to no added sugar, if possible. I like unsweetened soy milk as a great, protein-rich alternative to cow’s milk. Check out more information on alternative milks here. 

Low sugar snacks for kids

I know so many parents are on the hunt for snacks that are nutritious and kid-approved. Lucky for you, I’ve done some groundwork here!

Check out this post on healthy snack ideas for kids.

I’ve also compiled a list of healthy packaged food for some ideas that are both portable and nutritious!

I’m usually looking to keep snacks around 6-7 grams of added sugar. Less is great! It can be hard to find all snacks with no added sugar though, so keeping it around 6 grams is a good target goal. 

No sugar added kids bars

There are some great kids bars out there that don’t have any added sugar! Some of them are on the smaller side, so they may be more appropriate for toddlers, but they have great ingredients nonetheless!

• Happy Wolf bars (use code KACIE20 for 20% off)
• Once Upon a Farm refrigerated oat bars
• Cerebelly bars (use code MKN10 for 10% off your first order)
• Skout bars (use code MAMAKNOWS for 20% off)
• Dino bars (use code MAMAKNOWS for 10% off)
• RX mini bars
• YUMI bars

And check out my review of some of the most popular healthy snack bars for kids!

No sugar added peanut butter

There are so many great no sugar added peanut butters on the market. I can’t just choose one! 

I usually like to look for one that pretty much has just one ingredient: peanuts. 

But choose whatever your family likes! There are also some very tasty ones that have a little bit of oil and salt for taste and texture. 

And to be honest, 2 or so grams of sugar in peanut butter is not the end of the world, so if the one your kid likes does have a little bit of sugar, I truly wouldn’t stress about it!

No sugar added ketchup

Condiments are a sneaky place that added sugar can hide. This means salad dressings, pasta sauces, and even ketchup can be loaded with added sugar. 

My favorite brand (for all of these types of condiments, actually) is Primal Kitchen (you can use code KACIE20 for 20% off). Their sauces and condiments are not only delicious, they’re made with high quality ingredients! They have an unsweetened ketchup, as well as a tad sweet ketchup, with only 1g added sugar.

No sugar added yogurt

Yogurt is another sneaky added sugar culprit- namely, flavored yogurt and kids’ yogurt. It always surprises me how the products marketed to kids (and sometimes even the ones trying to appear the “healthiest”) are the ones with the most added sugar. 

I like to opt for plain Greek yogurt when possible. If your child doesn’t love the tartness, a good tip is mixing their favorite yogurt half and half with Greek yogurt. That way you get half the sugar and a big boost of protein. My kids also loved plain whole milk yogurt (not Greek) for years, up until they discovered flavored yogurt in elementary school!

I also like some of the lower sugar yogurt options like the flavors from Icelandic Provisions and Siggi’s. Here’s the lowdown on how to choose a healthy yogurt. 

No sugar added juice

Yes, juice is sugary- but that’s because fruit has natural fruit sugar (fructose) in it! 

When I buy juice, I opt for 100% juice, nothing else added. That being said – the recommended amount of juice per day is only 1/2 a cup, or 4 ounces.

For younger toddlers, you can cut the juice with some water so it’s not too sweet. There’s nothing wrong with 100% juice from time to time, but I like to choose the real fruit when possible so that kids get to reap the benefits of the fiber in the whole fruit form! 

I love Honest kids juice boxes since they’re watered down but still taste great. I keep my fridge stocked with them for when kids come over for playdates.

No sugar added popsicles

Popsicles are a great summer treat. But, you guessed it, they can come with a ton of added sugar, too. 

Here are some great options that have no sugar added pops:

• Goodpop
• Outshine (no sugar added version)
• Deebee’s popsicles
• Or…make your own!! (with these popsicle molds!)

No sugar added cereal

When it comes to cereal, I am actually looking more for a low sugar option as opposed to a no sugar option because not many cereals have zero added sugar. 

A low added sugar cereal can still come with tons of nutritional benefits like protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals!

If you need some ideas, I made a low sugar cereal guide you can download for free!

No sugar added jam

Jellies and jams can have a ton of added sugar. But there’s really no need! Fruit is sweet enough and several brands have made some great no or low added sugar added products. My top two choices are Crofter’s Just Fruit Spread and Blake Hill preserves. 

Sneaky places added sugar can hide

We talked about how added sugar can hide in condiments like ketchup and pasta sauce and in things marketed to kids like flavored milks and yogurts. 

It’s also in a ton of beverages- like sodas and faux-orange juices (lookin’ at you Sunny D). If you’re wondering what beverages to offer your toddlers, I got you. 

Added sugar content can also be high in packaged snacks/foods. Sometimes packaged foods have to be sweeter since they aren’t fresh. The added sugar adds to the appeal and the mouthfeel of packaged foods. Sugar can also act as a preservative to keep foods fresher longer.

And finally, bread can actually have a surprising amount of sugar as well. I know, I know, we all thought bread was just flour, yeast, and water. Turns out most sandwich bread adds sugar! Here’s my bread guide to help you find the best store bought breads. 

Ways to reduce added sugar for kids

If you’re wanting to reduce the amount of added sugar your children eat, I have a few tips!

1. Check the labels for the foods you buy most often. I like to try to keep added sugar in snacks to about 6 grams or less. It can add up quick! 
2. Choose lower added sugar versions of flavored yogurt (or plain!) or chocolate milk (my favorite is Fairlife). Skip the sodas and other sweetened beverages. 
3. Keep a pulse on weekend treats. If my kids go to an afternoon birthday party and have birthday cake, I won’t also serve dessert at dinner that night. It’s not about restriction, it’s just about being mindful of overall sugar intake!
4. If sugar is an obsession in your house, I highly recommend the Sweets e-book for additional help navigating sugar struggles.

And if you could use a little extra help creating meals and snacks that are simple, delicious, and nutritious, check out my Meal and Snack Survival Guide. It’s like pressing the easy button for feeding your family!