May 8, 2025

Americans Love Sweetness—But Think It Is Important To Cut Back, New Research Finds

IFIC Study Reveals Complex Relationship Among Sweet Taste, Health Goals, and Food Choices 

(Washington, D.C.) — Sweet-tasting foods and drinks may be beloved by many Americans, but a new survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) reveals a mounting tension between consumers’ enjoyment and health goals when it comes to sweetness in the diet. 

According to the IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions Of Sweetness in Their Diets, nearly 6 in 10 Americans (58%) prefer sweet as their favorite taste—more than savory/umami (49%), salty (45%), sour (24%), or bitter (21%). Yet despite their fondness for sweet flavors, 8 in 10 Americans (78%) believe it is important to reduce the overall sweetness of their diet, primarily to eat healthier, manage blood sugar or diabetes, manage body weight, and support dental health. 

“From a biological perspective, our love of sweet taste makes sense—it’s thought to be an ancient survival mechanism that signaled safe, energy-rich food, like glucose from plants” said IFIC Senior Director of Research & Consumer Insights, Kris Sollid, RD. “As we’ve evolved, navigating our innate preferences and health goals has become more complicated.” 

Americans Support Sweetness While Also Scaling Back 

When asked what comes to mind first when they think about sweet-tasting foods or drinks, most Americans mentioned a specific food (39%) or beverage (23%)—while far fewer thought of an ingredient or feeling. But their attitudes toward that sweetness are nuanced. While 59% agree that sweet-tasting foods and drinks can be part of a healthy diet, many still support scaling back the overall sweetness of their diets (78%). 

Among those who think it is important to reduce sweetness, the most common reasons include eating healthier (49%), managing blood sugar or diabetes (43%), managing weight (41%), and improving dental health (36%). Notably, women were more likely than men to cite each of these as top reasons for cutting back on sweet-tasting foods. 

What Happens When Sweetness Is Reduced? Americans Have Ideas 

The survey asked respondents what they would expect if they reduced the sweetness of their current diet. The top expectations? Improvements in overall health (64%) and the healthfulness of their diet (64%), followed by lower calorie intake (58%) and reduced body weight (55%). 

But when it comes to cravings, Americans are split. One-third (36%) believe reducing sweetness would increase their cravings, while an equal number think cravings would decrease. 

“This kind of cognitive dissonance shows how emotionally and biologically complex our relationship with sweetness is,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, IFIC President & CEO. “There is a deep-rooted tension between enjoying food and aspiring to eat what we think of as ‘healthier.’ We need more tools and strategies that help people strike a balance.” 

Sugar Still Equals Sweetness—But Its Other Roles Are Less Understood 

When asked why they think sugar is added to foods and drinks, the leading reason is sweetness, according to 77% of respondents. Far fewer recognized its other functional roles, such as texture (24%), shelf-life (21%), or fermentation (13%). 

The foods and beverages Americans believe contribute the most sweetness to their diets? Desserts and sweet snacks (53%) and candy (49%) topped the list, followed by fruit (41%) and sugar-sweetened beverages (36%). 

Americans Seek To Strike A Balance Between Enjoyment & Health 

Sweetness, whether from added sugars or low- and no-calorie sweeteners, plays a powerful role in how we experience and enjoy food. But as this survey shows, Americans are increasingly looking for balance. 

“Sweetness alone is not always a reliable marker of poor diet quality. Context matters—especially when high levels of sweetness can contribute to overconsumption of less nutrient dense foods that are high in calories from added sugars and saturated fat,” said Sollid.  

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dietary sweetness,” added Reinhardt Kapsak. “Science does not necessarily support the idea that simply reducing sweetness automatically leads to better health outcomes. What we need is thoughtful innovation, consumer education, and supportive environments that honor both health and enjoyment.” 

View the full survey here.  

Check out our latest Sugars Toolkit here.  

Interested in learning more about how consumers view sweetness in their diet? Catch the conversation during the IFIC Expert Webinar: Sensing Sweetness: Balancing Taste, Health, and Consumer Demand on Thursday, May 22, 2 pm ET, featuring insights from IFIC Senior Director, Kris Sollid, RD and Dr. Jean-Xavier Guinard, University of California, Davis. Each IFIC Expert Webinar is free and provides opportunities for audience questions.  

Register for the IFIC Expert Webinar here.  

Research Methodology 

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned an online survey among U.S. consumers to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about sweetness in their diet. Data was collected from February 14-19, 2025, via an online survey of 1,000 Americans aged 18 years to 80+ years, and responses were weighted to ensure proportional results. The Bayesian confidence level for the survey sample (n=1000) is 3.5, which is roughly equivalent to a margin of error of ±3.1 at the 95% confidence level.