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McDonald's US Sprite (Medium): calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

Boone’s analysis puts McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) at 12% of an adult’s daily calories, 8% of the daily sodium limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 16.0 teaspoons of added sugar.

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)? It contains 250 calories, 0g of fat (0g saturated), 64g of added sugar and 120mg of sodium.

Build a full meal with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to build a full meal rather than view this item on its own. Add fries, a drink, dips and a dessert, then choose your age and sex, and switch between US and UK guidance, for a more accurate view of how a Sprite (Medium) fits into a day.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)

Calories250
Total fat0g
of which saturated0g
Trans fat0g
Carbohydrate64g
Total sugars64g
Includes added sugars64g
Fibre0g
Protein0g
Sodium120mg

Nutrition figures are McDonald’s USA published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) contains 250 calories, which is 12% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value used on US food labels. It provides 0g of total fat, of which 0g is saturated, 64g of total sugars (64g added), 120mg of sodium, 0g of protein and 0g of fibre.

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) is a single manufactured product. Across the whole item the ingredient list names corn syrups and invert sugar, flavourings and preservatives. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, storage and transport.

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) is over the US per-meal added sugar limit

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) contains 64g of added sugar, 6.4 times the 10g per-meal limit in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The same guidelines recommend no added sugar at all for children aged 10 and under.

FDA Daily Values (2,000-calorie diet)

Calories2,000
Total fat78g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate275g
Added sugars50g
Fibre28g
Sodium2,300mg
Protein50g

Added sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)

Effectively all 64g counts as added sugar, or about 16.0 teaspoons against the 10g per-meal limit.

Added sugars come from

  • high fructose corn syrup

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: no more than 10g of added sugar per meal from age 11 and none for children aged 10 and under. FDA Daily Value: 50g a day. Sources are read from the published ingredient list for each component.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) is a single manufactured product. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains corn syrups and invert sugar, flavourings and preservatives. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Corn syrups and invert sugar

Sweeten and control texture more cheaply than sugar alone. Found in the Sprite.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the Sprite.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the Sprite.

Boone classifies McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, September 2026.

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) contains at least 5 distinct ingredients: 1 raw and 4 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 54, of which 29 are manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.

Ingredient count by order: McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)

What you orderRawManufacturedTotal% manufactured
McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) on its own14580%
McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) + medium fries681457%
McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) + fries + a dip16143047%
McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola16163250%
McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) + fries + dip + drink + an OREO McFlurry25295454%

The 4 manufactured ingredients

citric acid, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavor, sodium benzoate.

The 1 raw ingredients

carbonated water.

What those ingredients are, by type

Water1
Sugars and syrups1
Acids and acidity regulators1
Flavourings and extracts1
Other additives and processing aids1

Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “leavening (baking soda)” counts baking soda once. Ice and water added at the counter are not counted. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet ’n Sour sauce.

Ingredients

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) is listed by McDonald’s USA as a single component.

Ingredients by component: McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)

Sprite

Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (to Protect Taste).

Ice

Ice.

Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s USA product pages, retrieved September 2026, with obvious spelling errors corrected. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) does not declare any of the nine major US allergens.

Allergen information: McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)

AllergenStatus
MilkNot declared
EggsNot declared
FishNot declared
Crustacean shellfishNot declared
Tree nutsNot declared
PeanutsNot declared
WheatNot declared
SoybeansNot declared
SesameNot declared

Contains = declared by McDonald’s USA. May contain = McDonald’s states the allergen may be present. McDonald’s prepares food in shared kitchens, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free. UK rules also require barley, oats, mustard, celery and sulphites to be declared; these are shown where the ingredient list names them. Retrieved September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) contains 250 calories, which is 12% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value and 17% of the daily needs of a moderately active child aged 4 to 8.

How much added sugar is in a McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)?+

Boone calculates that McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) contains 64g of added sugar, about 16.0 teaspoons, which is 128% of the 50g FDA Daily Value.

Is McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) within US sugar guidance for children?+

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 recommend no added sugar for children aged 10 and under and no more than 10g per meal from age 11. With 64g of added sugar, McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) is over both.

How much sodium is in a McDonald's US Sprite (Medium)?+

McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) contains 120mg of sodium. Boone calculates that as 8% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 5% of the 2,300mg adult limit.

Is McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it is a single manufactured product and contains corn syrups and invert sugar, flavourings and preservatives. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

Is McDonald's US Sprite (Medium) suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 64g of added sugar is above the Dietary Guidelines advice of no added sugar for children aged 10 and under. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a Sprite (Medium) uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.