Well this, though it seems simple, quite a loaded question. The simple answer to this is…. none.

Truthfully, it's generally hard to say because sugar intake is conducive to blood sugar levels, diabetic state, weight, risk for diabetes/family history, etc… Any of these conditions and risk factors have their own set of specific recommendations, so I recommend consulting your physician if you do fit into any of these categories.

You don't NEED added sugar in your diet. The trick is, to limit this. Carbohydrates (which will be discussed in my upcoming VLOG) have all the glucose (sugar) your body NEEDS to run daily operations, including exercise and strenuous activities.

If you feel like you consume too much, here are some tricks: ween it out of your coffee; switch to lemon/lime/orange juice + seltzer water instead of soda, consume fresh fruits for dessert instead of sugary sweets or candy bars. Simply switching to “sugar free” or “diet” versions of things means you aren't really teaching your palate to appreciate anything besides sweet, and instead, this weird off-taste associated with non-nutritive (artificial) sweeteners. Also, a lot of artificial sweeteners carry their own set of warnings including but not limited to severe allergic reactions and brain neuron cell damage. Teach your tastebuds to appreciate less-intense sweets. Again, consuming fruits and caramelizing vegetables (which releases their sugars) like carrots, onions, and snow peas are all the sweet you really need when you stop desiring the over saturated sweet that comes from processed foods.

Simply put: you shouldn't eat any. Detailed version: Carbs are your friend, but don't over do-it; try to cut back on sweets and replace with healthy less-intense versions to train your palate to be a bit more sensitive to the flavor of sweetness.

Hope this helps. Happy eating!