The % Daily Value, or %DV, is the column of percentages down the right side of the Nutrition Facts label. It is the single most useful tool on the label for comparing foods quickly, yet it is the part people understand least.
What the percentage means
Each %DV tells you how much one serving of the food contributes toward the recommended daily amount of that nutrient. If the sodium line says 20%, one serving gives you a fifth of the sodium a typical adult should have in a whole day. The reference amounts are called Daily Values, and they are set by the FDA based on nutrition science and a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.
The 5% and 20% rule
You don't need to add up percentages all day. The FDA gives a simple guide:
- 5% DV or less means the food is low in that nutrient.
- 20% DV or more means the food is high in that nutrient.
So for sodium or added sugars, aim low. For fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamin D, aim high. This lets you glance at a label and judge it without any arithmetic.
Why some nutrients have no %DV
You'll notice total sugars and trans fat have no %DV. That's because there is no established daily reference for them — for total sugars, because it includes natural sugars that don't need limiting, and for trans fat, because the guidance is simply to eat as little as possible. Added sugars, by contrast, does have a %DV (based on a 50-gram daily limit), which is exactly why the added sugars line was such an important addition.
The 2,000-calorie caveat
The %DV assumes a 2,000-calorie daily diet. If you eat notably more or less, your personal daily values shift. The footnote at the bottom of every label states this. Still, for comparing two products the %DV is reliable, because both are measured against the same reference.