Visualizing the Sugar Content of Popular U.S. Drinks

This article is published in collaboration with Visual Capitalist

Visualizing the Sugar Content of Popular U.S. Drinks

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Whether you’re on a diet or a parent concerned about your children’s health, sugar is a key factor to consider.

Sugary drinks especially raise some red flags, as they represent a market of nearly $400 billion in annual sales.

To put things into perspective, this graphic visualizes the amount of sugar in popular drinks, represented as sugar cubes. The sugar content was sourced from various online platforms, including company websites and online retailers (e.g., Walmart).

How Much Sugar is Too Much?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average American consumes 17 teaspoons (roughly 71 grams) of sugar per day. This amount is over double the recommended limit of 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men.

The AHA also advises people to distinguish between naturally occurring sugars (such as those found in fruits) and added sugars. Added sugars, which are commonly found in processed foods and beverages, offer no nutritional benefits and can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease if consumed in excess.

On our list, Monster Energy tops the ranking with 54 grams of sugar in a 16 oz can. In second place is Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte with 50 grams.

Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar per can, while a same-sized Pepsi has 41 grams. Pepsi also ranks highest in sugar content per ounce.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out Visualizing the Market Share of U.S. Soft Drinks to see the change in market share of U.S. carbonated soft drinks between 1995 and 2023.

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