sugar
How much sugar is too much sugar?
According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the World Health Organization (WHO), free sugars — that’s simple sugars added to foods and drinks, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates — should make up less than 10% of your daily energy intake.
But the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that 1 in 2 Australians regularly exceed that limit. Yep… half of us.
So why is cutting sugar so hard? A big reason is that so many foods marketed as “healthy” are loaded with added sugars... think muesli bars, yoghurt pouches, fruit roll-ups, and plenty more hiding in lunchboxes every day.
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How to identify Added sugar?
Any sweet ingredient itemised on the ingredient list is an added sugar regardless of whether they are natural sources (like honey, apple-juice concentrate, coconut sugar, or rice malt syrup) or, more obvious like brown or white sugar. These all contribute to the daily 'added sugar' limit in the table below. -
Why do we need to cut sugar?
High intakes of added sugar are strongly linked to weight gain, tooth decay, and poorer overall nutrition. Sugary foods are typically lower in the key nutrients kids need to grow—like fibre, protein, and vitamins—while causing rapid energy spikes and crashes and leaving less space for nutritious foods. -
What about sweetners?
There are natural (like stevia) and artificial (like aspartame, erythritol & xylitol) sweeteners. Both don’t raise blood sugar or contribute toward the added-sugar guidelines, but artificial sweeteners may affect the gut. And because both don't appear on nutritional panels it's impossible to know how much you're consuming.
Australian Guidelines for Added Sugar
| Scroll left to right | 10 % of energy (upper limit) | Tea spoons/ day |
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers (2–3 yrs) |
7–9 g
|
~2 tsp
|
| Children (4–8 yrs) |
11–14 g
|
~3 ½ tsp
|
| Older children (9–13 yrs) |
15–18 g
|
~4 ½ tsp
|
| Teens & Adults |
25–30 g
|
~6–7 ½ tsp
|
Learn more about sugar
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Lunchbox Sugar Traps: What No One Tells You (and the Easy Swaps)
You expect sugar in Oreos, muffins, chips and gummies... the sweet treats you are consciously packing to be exactly that, a treat. And in small amounts, added sugar is perfectly safe for both you and your family. But have you...
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The Ultimate Hidden Sugar & Sweetener Cheat Sheet for Families
If you’ve ever stood in the supermarket staring at labels wondering, “Is coconut sugar better for me?” or “What even is rice malt syrup?” you’re not alone. These days, sugar hides behind dozens of names, and even the ones that...
50% Less Sugar
Veghead muffins are at least 50% less sugar per 100g than the top 3 most common super market mini muffins in both chocolate and banana mini muffins.
Compare Sugar In Chocolate Mini Muffins
| Scroll left to right | Veg Head | Coles | Woolworths | happy muffin co |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Per 100g |
13.6g ( avrg. 52% less)
|
29.1g
|
27.1g
|
29.4g
|
| Carb per 100g |
33.2g (avrg. 29% less)
|
45.7g
|
46.7g
|
47.2g
|
| Last verified |
Nov 2025
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Nov 2025
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Nov 2025
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Nov 2025
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How much added sugar & veg is in a veghead muffin?
1 X Chocolate mini muffin 2.4g (approx half a teaspoon)
1 x Banana mini muffin 2.3g (approx half a teaspoon)
In all our mini muffin we use a minimum of 20% fresh veggie content in our recipes (you can see that visualized to the right) in actual grams.
In Chocolate minis - 9% of our recipe is added sugar.
In Banana minis - 8% of our recipe is added sugar. (the remainder is naturally occurring from whole bananas)
Compare Sugar In Banana Mini Muffins
| Scroll left to right | Veg Head | Coles | Woolworths | happy muffin co |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Per 100g |
12.8g (avrg. 53% less)
|
25.6g
|
26.1g
|
29.3g
|
| Carb per 100g |
34g (avrg. 33% less)
|
50.4g
|
48.4g
|
52.4g
|
| Last verified |
Nov 2025
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Nov 2025
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Nov 2025
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Nov 2025
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