Calculating Absolute Amounts of Nutrients from

Percent of Daily Values

The Daily Value chart on the page 3 of this document presents nutrient quantities (in
grams, milligrams, micrograms, or units) representing 100% of their Daily Values (based
upon a 2000 calorie diet). To determine the quantity of a nutrient in a known quantity
of food from the % Daily Value data given in that food's nutrient table, multiply its %
Daily Value (taking into account how much of that food item you ate) times daily value
for that nutrient presented in the chart and divide by 100. An example of how to do
this is presented below.

The Nutrition Facts chart below presents nutritional data for Nabisco SnackWells
Blueberry Cereal Bars.

Suppose you ate two bars and were interested in how much vitamin A and calcium you
ingested. From the Nutrition Facts chart above, you'll note that one bar provides 25%
of the Daily Value for vitamin A and 2% of the Daily Value for calcium. But you ate two
bars. Therefore, you consumed 50% of your Daily Value for vitamin A and 4% of your
Daily Value for calcium.
From the Daily Value chart on the following page, you'll note that the Daily Value of
vitamin A is 1000 units (as retinol equivalents not international units) and the Daily
Value of calcium is 1 g (g = gram). Since 100% of Daily Value of vitamin A is 1000
units, 50% of your Daily Value is 500 units (50% * 1000 units / 100%). Therefore,
when you ate two bars, you received 500 units of vitamin A.

Similarly, since 100% of your Daily Value of calcium is 1 g, 4% of your Daily Value is
0.04 g (4% * 1 g / 100%). Therefore, when you ate two bars, you received 0.04 g (=
40 mg; mg = milligram) of calcium.

Note the Daily Values presented are based upon a 2000 calorie diet. Some individuals
may require more of these nutrients, while others may need less. For the purposes of
this nutrition assignment, you need not worry about these individual differences.

Nutrient amounts are presented in the table as either units, grams (abbreviated as "g"),
milligrams (abbreviated as "mg), or micrograms (abbreviated as "µg"). Note that 1000
mg equals 1 g. Similarly, 1000 µg equals 1 mg.