Sugar In Popular Drinks | Andy Kenny Fitness Dublin

Sugar In Popular Drinks

Would you put 13 sachets of sugar in your tea or coffee? You’ll be shocked to discover that’s the amount of sugar in several drinks regularly consumed by you and by children.

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13 Sugar Sachets

That’s what you’re consuming in just one 500ml bottle of some popular drinks

Shown here is the amount of sugar in some common drinks. They’re listed from highest to lowest in order of the amount of sugar per 100ml.

These drinks were once used as occasional treats, as sports performance boosting drinks or as energy drinks given to those recovering in hospital. Through marketing, easy availability and low costs, some of these sugar filled drinks have become part of the daily routine for millions of adults and children all over the world.

My Personal Experience

In my late teens and early 20’s I was very overweight and would consume a 1.5litre bottle of one of these brands every day. It wasn’t the cause of being overweight but certainly contributed.

Making Informed Choices

I’m not saying you shouldn’t drink these products, but you should know what you’re consuming or giving to your children, then make an informed decision. In my opinion these drinks could be ok when taken sparingly, in the right portion size and in moderation.

Taken before or during exercise some of these drinks can boost your sporting performance – that’s what some were originally designed for.

Sugar Content Ranking (per 100ml)

Club Orange 13g
Mountain Dew 12g
7up 11.2g
Red Bull 11g
Coca Cola 10.6g
Ribena 10.5g
Capri Sun 10g
Lucozade 8.7g
Innocent OJ 7.9g
Starbucks Latte 3.8g

Complete Breakdown

Here’s the detailed nutritional information for each drink:

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Club Orange

Soft Drink

13g Sugar per 100ml
500ml Bottle 65g sugar

= 22 sugar sachets in a 500ml bottle

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Mountain Dew

Energy Drink

12g Sugar per 100ml
500ml Bottle 60g sugar
Caffeine 90mg per 500ml

= 20 sugar sachets in a 500ml bottle

⚡ Contains Caffeine
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7up

Soft Drink

11.2g Sugar per 100ml
500ml Bottle 56g sugar

= 19 sugar sachets in a 500ml bottle

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Red Bull

Energy Drink

11g Sugar per 100ml
355ml Can 39.05g sugar
Caffeine 113.6mg per 355ml

= 13 sugar sachets in a 355ml can

⚡ Contains Caffeine
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Coca Cola

Soft Drink • Energy Drink

10.6g Sugar per 100ml
500ml Bottle 53g sugar
Caffeine 48.48mg per 500ml

= 18 sugar sachets in a 500ml bottle

⚡ Contains Caffeine
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Ribena

Fruit Drink

10.5g Sugar per 100ml
288ml Carton 30.2g sugar

= 10 sugar sachets in a 288ml carton

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Capri Sun

Kids’ Juice Drink

10g Sugar per 100ml
200ml Pack 20g sugar

= 7 sugar sachets in a 200ml pack

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Lucozade

Sports/Energy Drink

8.7g Sugar per 100ml
380ml Bottle 33.06g sugar
Caffeine 46mg per 380ml

= 11 sugar sachets in a 380ml bottle

⚡ Contains Caffeine
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Innocent OJ

Orange Juice

7.9g Sugar per 100ml
330ml Bottle 26.07g sugar

= 9 sugar sachets in a 330ml bottle

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Starbucks Latte

Whole Milk Grande

3.8g Sugar per 100ml
473ml Cup 18g sugar
Caffeine 150mg per 473ml

= 6 sugar sachets in a 473ml cup

⚡ Contains Caffeine

The Takeaway

You can find out more on how to boost your sporting performance by reading my article on Nutrition & Hydration for Training.

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AK

About Andy Kenny

Andy Kenny is a personal trainer based in Dublin with over 17 years of experience. He specializes in weight loss, nutrition coaching, and sports performance. Andy runs Andy Kenny Fitness in Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, offering personal training, Body Slim programs, and nutrition guidance.

Reader Comments

Karla August 16, 2013
Super interesting!!
gary March 3, 2013
Hi Andy, i like your information, I’m always telling people about the sugar and salts in drinks, thats why I created vithit, which you may know if very low in sugar (4gms), less than 35 cals and has 100% RDA of 8 vitamins. Well done on an informative website. cheers Gary