FitCiNutrition facts
| Nutrient | 100 g | 1 teaspoon |
|---|---|---|
| kcal | 400 kcal | 20 kcal |
| Protein | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbs | 100 g | 5 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sugar | 100 g | 5 g |
| Sodium | 0 mg | 0 mg |
Where it stands in its category
Sugar ranks #76 of 93 in the Dessert category by calories per 100 g (lowest to highest); the category average is 303 kcal per 100 g, so it is 32% above average. 0% of its calories come from protein; weak as a protein source, pair it with protein.
Burning the 20 kcal in one 1 teaspoon (5 g) takes about 4 minutes of brisk walking (~4.5 kcal/min at 70 kg) or 2 minutes of running (~10 kcal/min).
Where the calories come from
Share of a daily budget
One serving of Sugar is 1% of a 2,000 kcal reference day. Find your own number with the calorie calculator.
What to eat instead
- Lower-calorie options in the same category: Stuffed Kadayif (398 kcal/100 g), Chocolate Mosaic Cake (395 kcal/100 g), Brownie Cheesecake (390 kcal/100 g)
- More protein for similar calories: Hosmerim Cheese Dessert (8 g/100 g), Kunefe (7 g/100 g), Pistachio Katmer (7 g/100 g)
About this food
Table sugar is pure sucrose: 1 teaspoon (5 g) is 20 kcal and nothing else, no protein, fat, fibre or micronutrients. Per 100 g it is 400 kcal. The number looks small per teaspoon, which is exactly why it adds up unnoticed: three sweetened teas a day with two cubes each is about 24 g, roughly 100 kcal, before counting anything you ate.
The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars (added sugar plus the sugar in honey, syrups and fruit juice) under 10% of daily energy, and ideally under 5%. On a 2,000 kcal day that is 50 g, or about 12 teaspoons, with the stricter target at 25 g, about 6 teaspoons.
How it fits in a diet
- Count the hidden sugar first. A can of cola carries about 35 g; flavoured yoghurt, breakfast cereal, ketchup and sauces each add several grams. Most people's sugar comes from these, not from the sugar bowl.
- Cut the easy teaspoons. Reducing tea and coffee sugar by one teaspoon per cup over a day is 60–80 kcal; over a year that is several kilos of body fat worth of energy.
- Brown sugar, honey, coconut sugar are not lighter. They are 75–100% sugar by weight with trace minerals; calorie-wise treat them the same.
- Around training. A small amount of fast sugar before or during a long, hard session can help performance; outside of that context it is simply extra calories.
FAQ
Is sugar itself fattening?
Not by a special mechanism: a calorie of sugar counts like any other calorie. The problem is that sugary foods and drinks are easy to over-consume and do not fill you up, so they push total intake over budget. Find your own daily number with the calorie calculator.
Are sweeteners a good swap?
For calories, yes: they contribute essentially none. Taste preference and gut comfort vary by person; the most useful move is gradually lowering sweetness overall so you need less of either.
What about the sugar in fruit?
Whole fruit comes with fibre, water and volume, which slow absorption and limit how much you eat. Juice removes those, which is why juice counts as free sugar and whole fruit does not.
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