How Many Calories in 2 Teaspoons of Sugar?

A spoonful of sugar does more than make the medicine go down. Too many of these spoonfuls can have detrimental effects on your health. When consumed in excess, sugar can cause a number of metabolic problems, including insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity. Many foods contain naturally occurring sugar; after all it is your body's primary fuel source. However, refined sugar added to processed foods plays a role in excess calorie consumption.

Your body needs sugar to function properly. (Image: IPPEI WAKITA/amanaimagesRF/amana images/Getty Images)

Knowing the Numbers

The amount of calories in sugar depends on the type. Regular granulated sugar and brown sugar have similar calorie contents at 33 and 35 calories respectively in 2 teaspoons. Powdered sugar has almost double the calories with 2 teaspoons containing 62 calories. This amount may not seem like a big deal. However, the primary sugar offenders, which are soft drinks, contain several teaspoons of sugar. Some sodas contain 13 teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce serving, according to Harvard School of Public Health. If you want to reduce your sugar intake, limit sugar-sweetened drinks.