Daily Values 101

What is a Percent Daily Value?According to the FDA, "Daily values are reference amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed and are used to calculate the percent Daily Value (% DV) that manufacturers include on the label."Listing a % DV on a Nutrition Facts label makes it easier for people to put the item that they're eating or drinking in a larger daily perspective.For example, the fact that a food has 10 grams of added sugars may not clearly illustrate how much that serving will count towards people's recommended daily total limit or minimum, but a % DV makes it perfectly clear that that serving is the same as 20% of their total daily allowance for added sugars.What Did the Old Label Say?Recently, the FDA approved a new Nutrition Facts label, and the % DV description is going to be updated for clarity.The old label said "Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower based on your calorie needs." That description was followed by a chart that looks like this...What Will the New Label Say?The new label will get rid of the chart and instead say "The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice."What do you think? Will that make the label easier to understand?Here's a free handout with the basics of both the % DV and the changes to the label.And here are even more Nutrition Facts label resources...[shopify embed_type="product" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="new-food-label-floor-sticker-floor-decal" show="all"][shopify embed_type="product" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="the-label-says-nutrition-facts-label-game" show="all"][shopify embed_type="product" shop="nutrition-education-store.myshopify.com" product_handle="new-food-label-handout-tearpad" show="all"]