A box of kaju katli from the neighbour. Soan papdi from the office. Gulab jamun at the family lunch. By Diwali night, the mithai pile is bigger than the dinner plate, and nobody is counting the sugar.
Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. So how much Diwali mithai is too much, especially if you have diabetes or prediabetes? WHO says to keep free sugars below 10% of your daily energy, and below 5% (about 25 grams) if you can. ICMR-NIN also says under 5% for adults. That is a small budget for festival week. Here is how to work within it.
How much sugar is too much in a day?
Two bodies set the benchmark. The table below puts them side by side.
"Free sugars" means sugar added by the maker, the cook or you, plus the sugar in honey, syrups and fruit juice. WHO does not count the sugar in fresh fruit, vegetables or milk.
How much sugar sits in one piece of mithai? It changes from shop to shop and recipe to recipe, and loose sweets have no label, so we will not give you a made-up number per piece. Use the 25-gram mark as a guide and remember that it fills up fast in festival week.
Why should Indians take festive sugar seriously?
Because the numbers are already high. The ICMR-INDIAB survey of 1,13,043 adults, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, found that 11.4% of people had diabetes and 15.3% had prediabetes.
A later ICMR-INDIAB paper in Nature Medicine looked at what Indians eat. It found that Indian diets are high in low-quality carbohydrates (white rice, milled whole grains and added sugar), and that people with the highest carbohydrate intakes had higher odds of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest (odds ratio 1.30). The RSSDI 2025 nutrition guidelines also note an urban Indian study in which added sugar above 5% of total calories was linked to new diabetes.
Festival week is when sweets, sweet tea and cold drinks show up every day, so the sugar adds up quietly.
Can people with diabetes eat Diwali mithai?
The honest answer is: it depends on you. The RSSDI 2025 nutrition guidelines for type 2 diabetes, supported by ICMR-NIN, say people with type 2 diabetes can improve their control by lowering simple carbohydrates and added sugars. They advise being mindful of foods with added sugar, and practising portion control with a regular meal schedule. They do not give a number of sweets that is safe, because that depends on your blood sugar readings, your weight and your medicines.
So the plan has to come from your doctor or dietitian. Do not skip or change your medicines to make room for mithai.
Are sugar-free and jaggery sweets a safe swap?
Jaggery mithai: not by much. The ICMR-NIN 2024 guidelines list jaggery, along with table sugar and honey, as added sugar, as we explained in Jaggery vs Sugar: Is Gud Really Healthier?. A box that says "no refined sugar" can still be full of sugar.
Sugar-free mithai: the advice is mixed. In 2023, WHO recommended against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, but said the advice does not apply to people with pre-existing diabetes. The RSSDI guidelines say sugar substitutes can be used within Acceptable Daily Intake limits. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor which sweeteners and how much. Also ask the shop what sweetener it used.
What can you do around mithai to keep it in check?
These small habits come from the RSSDI guidelines and a published review. None of them replaces medical advice.
On walking: a 2022 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine pooled seven one-day trials. Breaking up sitting time with light walking lowered the blood sugar and insulin rise after eating, compared with sitting all the time, and did better than standing breaks. Most participants were overweight or had obesity, and the trials were short, so see it as a helpful habit, not a cure. Our guide to how many steps you really need shows how little extra movement helps.
Want a food plan built around your own goals? Try the free Diet Plan tool.
One more festive check: sugar is not the only worry. FSSAI's 29 September 2026 letter asks for a special enforcement drive against adulterated food during the festive season, covering sweets, milk and milk products, ghee, edible oil and more. Read How to Check Fake Khoya Mithai before you buy.
How many sweets can a person with diabetes eat on Diwali?
There is no single safe number. The RSSDI guidelines advise portion control and lower added sugar but do not set a count of sweets. Ask your doctor or dietitian for a limit that matches your readings and medicines.
Is jaggery mithai better for diabetes?
Not by much. ICMR-NIN's guidelines list jaggery as added sugar, so the amount you eat matters more than the type of sweetener.
Is sugar-free mithai safe for diabetics?
WHO's 2023 advice against non-sugar sweeteners does not apply to people with pre-existing diabetes, and the RSSDI guidelines allow sugar substitutes within Acceptable Daily Intake limits. Check with your doctor first.
Does walking after a meal help with blood sugar?
In a 2022 meta-analysis, light walking breaks lowered the rise in blood sugar and insulin after eating, compared with sitting. The trials were short and one-day, so keep it as a habit alongside, not instead of, your doctor's advice.
If you want to keep a few sealed bottles at home for guests this Diwali, Amaayu's functional waters are one option.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes or take medicines for it, ask your doctor or dietitian how much and what kind of sweets suit you.
