MCLEAN, VA - Data released yesterday from the National Center for Health Statistics reveals 59% of added sugar calories that kids consume are derived from foods while 41% come from beverages, USA Today reports.

Excluded from the analysis were sugars in fruit and 100% fruit juice. Meanwhile, soft drinks were found to be the largest single source of added sugars in children??s diets.

The report noted that 65% of calories from added sugars are consumed at homes, and the percentage of calories from added sugars were unrelated to income level.

"Soda consumption is high, but we shouldn't lose sight of the added sugars in foods such as muffins, cookies, sugar-sweetened cereals and pasta sauces," said Cynthia Ogden, senior author on the report and an epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Many processed foods have added sugars. Those foods contribute more than the beverages."

The findings come as some states target sugar-sweetened soda consumption for increased taxes. Roughly one-third of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese.

The American Heart Association recommends a limit of 100 to 150 calories a day from added sugars, or roughly 6 to 9 teaspoons. A previous government study showed teens who drink sugar-sweetened beverages consume roughly 327 calories a day from them.