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Nutrition & Dietetics vocabulary · Food Labels and Guidelines

Daily value

Meaning in nutrition & dietetics, with examples

nounCommon term

In nutrition & dietetics, daily value means: A reference amount of a nutrient used on US Nutrition Facts labels. The percent daily value (%DV) shows how much one serving provides toward a typical day's needs.

In Turkish: günlük değer, günlük referans değer

How it is used

Abbreviated DV and usually seen as %DV. As a quick guide, 5% DV or less of a nutrient is considered low and 20% or more is high. It is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. On EU and Turkish labels the similar idea is the 'reference intake' (RI).

Example sentences

  1. One slice of this cheese gives you 15% of the daily value for calcium.

  2. Students practiced reading the percent daily value for sodium on different soups.

Common collocations

  • percent daily value
  • %DV
  • daily value for
  • reference intake
  • nutrition labelThe panel on packaged food that lists the energy and the amounts of nutrients, such as fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt, usually per 100 g and per serving.
  • serving sizeA standard amount of a food, such as one cup or 30 grams, used on a nutrition label or in guidelines so that nutrient values can be shown and compared.
  • RDARecommended Dietary Allowance: the average daily intake of a nutrient that is enough to meet the needs of nearly all healthy people (about 97–98%) of a given age and sex.
  • sodiumA mineral and electrolyte that controls fluid balance, nerve signals and muscle function. Most dietary sodium comes from salt (sodium chloride) in processed foods, bread and cooking.

More terms: Food Labels and Guidelines

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.