It comes as no surprise to most readers that a Tootsie Pop has sugar. After all, it is a candy that is enjoyed for its sweetness.
But, how much sugar really is in a Tootsie Pop? Below, we answer that question and provide a comparison of its sugar to other similar suckers.
Sugar In A Tootsie Pop
A Tootsie Pop has 11 grams of sugar in one pop. As is typical for candy, all of its sugar is added during manufacturing. It contains no natural sugars.
Here are the full nutrition facts for a Tootsie Pop:
| Serving Size | 1 Tootsie Pop (17g) |
| Calories | 60 |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Sodium | 0mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 15g |
| Total Sugars | 11g |
| Includes 11g Added Sugars | |
| Protein | 0g |
Tootsie Pop Ingredients
The two most predominant ingredients in a Tootsie Pop are sugars.
The ingredient used in the greatest amount is sugar which needs no explanation.
The second most used ingredient is corn syrup. It is an invert sugar derived from corn as its name implies. Invert sugar helps prevent sugar crystals from forming to allow for a smooth candy texture.
Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Palm Oil, Citric Acid (May Contain Malic Acid), Condensed Skim Milk, Cocoa, Whey, Artificial And Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Colors (Including FD&C Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Strawberry Powder.
Sugar: Tootsie Pop vs. Other Candies
The sugar in a Tootsie Pop is similar to other popular lollipops. All sugar is added sugar in the candies below.
| Candy | Serving Size | Sugar(g) | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tootsie Roll | 1 Pop (17g) | 11g | 60 |
| Blow Pop | 1 Pop (18g) | 13g | 70 |
| Dum Dums Original | 3 Suckers (19.5g) | 13.5g | 75 |
| Caramel Apple Pops | 1 Pop (18g) | 11g | 70 |
| Jolly Rancher Lollipops | 1 Pop (17g) | 13g | 60 |
| Ring Pop – Regular | 1 Piece (14g) | 7g | 60 |
Recommended Added Daily Sugar Intake
The two often-cited recommendations for daily added sugar come from the USDA/HHS Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association (AHA).
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that less than 10% of total calories come from added sugar for people above 2 years old. This means that someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, for example, is limited to 50 grams of added sugar daily when following the recommendation. To do the math, 10% of 2,000 calories is 200 calories. Furthermore, there are 4 calories in a gram of sugar. So, simply take the 200 calories divided by 4 to get the 50-gram recommendation.
The AHA recommends about 24 grams for most adult women and 36 grams for most adult men of daily added sugar. Children from 2-18 are recommended to consume a maximum of 24 grams of added sugar daily. They go on to state that children should limit sugary drinks, for example, Dr Pepper, Coke, or Pepsi, to 8 ounces per week.
If you wish to keep your added sugar in check with one above recommendations, a Tootsie Pop isn’t the best choice with its 10 grams of added sugar and a bunch of empty calories in just one sucker.
Sources:
Tootsie.com
Science of cooking: Lollipops recipe: What’s going on? (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/lolly-pop.html
“Added Sugar.” The Nutrition Source, 26 Apr. 2022, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/.
