What is the 2000 calorie diet, and what are my percent daily values (DV)?
The statement, “%DVs are based on recommendations for a 2000 calorie diet,” must appear on all food labels. Daily Values are set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are based on current nutrition recommendations. The % Daily Value gives a general idea of a food’s nutrient contribution to the total daily diet. This is the only daily diet comparison allowed on the label. Consumers can use the % Daily Value to quickly compare foods and see how the amount of a nutrient in a serving of food fits in a 2000 calorie reference diet. A full footnote showing the actual daily values as recommended by the FDA may not be on the package if the size of the label is too small. When the full footnote does appear, it will always be the same. It doesn’t change from product to product. Note that the Nutrition Facts on any packaged food product are related to the 2000 calorie diet. The full footnote for both the 2000 and 2500 calorie diet appears here on the Nutrition Facts page.
