These 10 drinks look innocent, until you count the sugar cubes inside
We often think we know what we’re drinking. A soda now and then, an iced tea to cool off, a glass of juice at breakfast… habits that seem harmless. And yet, behind these everyday drinks lies a less obvious reality: sometimes surprisingly high amounts of sugar.
One thing is certain: when you turn grams of sugar into sugar cubes, the picture becomes much clearer.
Here’s a closer look at some of the sweetest drinks out there, the ones worth paying attention to.
10. Canada Dry (12 oz / 330 ml): about 4.2 sugar cubes
Let’s start with a drink often seen as light. Even so, with just over 20 grams of sugar, Canada Dry already goes past four sugar cubes.
Not the highest on the list, but still a meaningful amount, especially if you drink it regularly.
9. Sprite (12 oz / 330 ml): about 4.4 sugar cubes
With its fresh, lemony taste, Sprite can feel lighter than cola. In reality, its sugar content is very similar.
You’re still looking at around four to five cubes, something to keep in mind.
8. Peach Iced tea (12 oz / 330 ml): about 4.6 sugar cubes
Iced tea often has a “healthier” image. But with close to 23 grams of sugar, it’s already nearing five cubes.
It’s the kind of drink people don’t question… even though it’s still quite sweet.
7. Red Bull (8.4 oz / 250 ml): about 5.5 sugar cubes
Smaller can, but not lighter. One serving packs over 27 grams of sugar.
That’s more than five cubes, often consumed quickly and in one go.
6. Schweppes tonic water (12 oz / 330 ml): about 5.7 sugar cubes
Often used in cocktails or enjoyed on its own for its bitter taste, tonic water hides a surprising amount of sugar.
With nearly 29 grams, it comfortably passes five cubes.
5. Orangina (12 oz / 330 ml): about 6.6 sugar cubes
Now we’re moving up. With more than 30 grams of sugar, Orangina exceeds six cubes.
Its fruity image can be misleading, the sugar content remains high.
4. Oasis-style fruit drinks (12 oz / 330 ml): about 6.4 sugar cubes
Similar story here. Popular, especially with younger audiences, these drinks contain as much sugar as many sodas.
Over six cubes per serving is already well above what most people expect.
3. Coca-Cola (12 oz / 330 ml): about 7 sugar cubes
No list would be complete without it. Coca-Cola is a reference point, also when it comes to sugar.
Around 35 grams per can means about seven cubes, a significant intake if consumed often.
2. Tropical fruit drinks (12 oz / 330 ml): about 7.9 sugar cubes
This is often a surprise. With nearly 40 grams of sugar, these drinks approach eight cubes.
They’re often seen as fruity and fun, but the nutritional reality tells a different story.
1. Bottled peach iced tea (16.9 oz / 500 ml): about 9 sugar cubes
At the top of the list is a drink many consider “mild.”
With around 45 grams of sugar in a 500 ml bottle, it reaches about nine cubes, the equivalent of several desserts in one drink.
And that’s the issue: this format is easy to drink… sometimes all at once.
What all these drinks have in common
Looking beyond the ranking, one thing stands out: even the least sugary options here still exceed four cubes.
What’s striking isn’t just the amount, but how easily these drinks are consumed. Liquid sugar is absorbed quickly and doesn’t make you feel full.
That’s why it can add up without you noticing.
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, drinking one to two sugary beverages per day is linked to a 26% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Should you avoid them completely?
Not necessarily. As with most things, it comes down to frequency.
An occasional sugary drink isn’t a problem. But daily consumption can quickly throw off your overall diet.
The goal isn’t to cut everything out, but to understand what you’re drinking and make more informed choices.
Adèle Peyches
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