Brown sugar has 380 kcal per 100 g. Essentially pure sucrose. Adults consuming ≥25% of calories from sugar had 2.75× the cardiovascular mortality risk vs <10% (Yang et al., JAMA Intern Med 2014). A teaspoon is ~4 g and 16 kcal — small additions to coffee, baking, and sauces accumulate fast.
How should I track Sugars, brown?
The trickiest part about tracking Sugars, brown is that small portions pack a lot of calories, and most people estimate sweet portions poorly. Research (Almiron-Roig et al., Appetite 2013) found that calorie-dense foods are underestimated by 50–200% when portioned by eye. Weighing on a scale takes the guesswork out. And here is the mindset shift that helps: tracking sweets is not about guilt. It is about awareness. When you log a treat honestly, you can plan around it and still hit your targets for the day.