Kids consume more than a year's worth of sugar in six months

Children aged 4 to 10 years should have no more than the equivalent of 5–6 cubes of sugar per day, but are consuming on average 13 cubes. This means they are on track to consume around 4,800 cubes of sugar by the end of the year – more than double the maximum recommendation.

Sugary soft drinks remain one of the main contributors of free sugars to children’s diets – more than ice cream and puddings combined.

Apart from fruit juice, which counts as one of our 5 a Day, the other main sources of sugar in children’s diets are:

Fruit juice with no added sugar can be a healthier alternative to soft drinks. However, it contributes a significant amount of sugar to children’s diets when consumed in large amounts. Therefore fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to a combined total of 150ml per day.