See the terrifying amount of sugar that's in 16 popular beverages

Summer is around the corner, and with it comes the temptation to cool down with an ice-cold beverage from one of your favorite fast-food chains.

But beware; those neon-colored, frivolous drinks are less innocent than you think. Some are packed with more than three times the amount of sugar that the Food and Drug Administration recommends daily.

According to the FDA, Americans should eat and drink no more than 50 grams of sugar a day — roughly the same amount that's in a single can of Coke.

But the reality is we consume far more. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes more like 94 grams a day.

Avoiding sugar can be harder than you think. To help you understand how much sugar your favorite drinks contain, we put together the following series of visualizations in which 1 sugar cube represents 2.3 grams of sugar.

We chose the largest sizes available at each chain.

Starbucks Sweetened Iced Coffee (venti, 24-oz)

Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 30

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 60%



McDonald's Sweet Tea (32-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 38

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 76%



Shake Shack Shack-made Lemonade (24-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 59

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 118%




Starbuck's Midnight Mocha Frappuccino (venti, 24-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 64

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 128%



Burger King Frozen Fanta Cherry Icee (30-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 65

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 130%



7-Eleven Coca-Cola Slurpee (30-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 67

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 134%



Panera Frozen Caramel (one size, 16-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 69

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 138%




McDonald's Mango Pineapple Smoothie (20-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 72

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 144%




Chick Fil A Freshly Squeezed Lemonade (32-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 73

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 146%


Taco Bell Starburst Strawberry Freeze (20-oz)
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Total grams of sugar: 74

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 148%


Wendy's Large Orange Mango Fruitea Chillers (40-oz)
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Total grams of sugar: 79

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 158%



Starbuck's Pokemon Go Frappuccino with whole milk and whipped cream (venti, 24-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 86

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 172%



Wendy's Strawberry Lemonade (40-oz)
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Total grams of sugar: 107

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 214%



Taco Bell Mountain Dew Baja Blast fountain drink (30-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 110

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 220%



Frozen Dunkin' Coffee with milk (32-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 125

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 250%

Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Bean Coolatta (large, 32-oz)
Hollis Johnson
Total grams of sugar: 174

Percent of FDA recommended daily intake: 348%