Sugar and Sodium Limit Calculator

The AHA based the limits on average caloric needs and the proportion of added sugar that can be accommodated without displacing nutrient-dense foods or contributing to excess calorie intake. Men generally have higher caloric needs, allowing a slightly higher absolute sugar budget. The underlying principle for both sexes is that added sugars should represent no more than about 5-6% of daily calories.

No. The added sugar limit applies only to sugars added during processing or preparation. The naturally occurring sugars in whole fruit, vegetables, and plain dairy products do not count. Fruit juice, however, loses most of the fiber that moderates sugar absorption in whole fruit, so it occupies a middle ground - most guidelines recommend limiting fruit juice to one small glass per day.

No. All forms of sodium chloride - table salt, sea salt, kosher salt, and pink Himalayan salt - contain approximately 40% sodium by weight. The health claims associated with specialty salts relate to trace mineral content, not reduced sodium. Gram for gram, they contribute the same sodium as ordinary table salt.

On current U.S. Nutrition Facts labels, look for 'Includes [X]g Added Sugars' indented under 'Total Sugars.' This line became mandatory in the 2016 FDA label update that was phased in from 2018-2020. Older labels may not separate added from natural sugars.