Granulated sugar: how many calories?

Where do the calories come from?

• Protein 0%
• Carbs 100%
• Fat 0%

Each macro's grams are multiplied by its own calorie value: 4 for protein and carbohydrate, 9 for fat. Fibre sits inside the carbohydrate figure and alcohol is not in the list at all, which is why the three shares add up to exactly one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Granulated sugar carries 3.9 calories per gram: 26 grams are enough for 100 calories. This is the band of cheese and desserts — the smaller the portion, the more the eye is fooled, because a small amount looks like few calories.

A typical portion is 10 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Granulated sugar that means overstating the calories by 900%.

In calories, one portion (10 g · 39 kcal) comes to: 10 g Popcorn — air-popped. Popcorn — air-popped page

One portion every day adds up to 14,126 calories a year — roughly a 1.8 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

For oils the calories per gram are almost constant; the only thing that changes is how full the spoon is. And part of what goes into the pan stays in the food.

Household measure equivalents

Cup and spoon equivalents come from the food's bulk density, not from volume: a cup holds 200 millilitres, not 200 grams. Packing and how finely something is chopped move these numbers by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 5 of the 10 foods in the Oils, sauces and sweeteners group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 490 kcal; Granulated sugar is 21% below that average.

Lighter options at the same 10 grams

The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion

How long does it take to burn one portion (10 g)?

• Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)10 min
• Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)4 min
• Cycling — 16-19 km/h5 min

These minutes are the NET burn for a 70 kg body: the resting calories that would have been spent sitting on the sofa anyway are already taken out of the total. A heavier body gets the same work done in less time. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

• Popcorn — air-popped100 g · 387 kcal
• Rolled oats — dry100 g · 389 kcal
• Cheddar cheese100 g · 403 kcal
• Corn flakes100 g · 357 kcal
• Cream cheese100 g · 350 kcal
• French fries100 g · 312 kcal

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Granulated sugar meets 1 of them:

• Fat-free100 g → 0.0 g fat · threshold: at most 0.5 g

The thresholds apply to a product's OWN analysis; the values here come from average composition tables. So this list is not an authorisation, only an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks the energy and fat thresholds are per 100 millilitres and lower. Interpret your own label