The FDA sets specific Daily Values (DVs) for nutrients to help people understand how much of a nutrient is in one serving of food compared to the recommended daily intake.
We use these Daily Values as the upper limits in our nutrient scoring system.
| Nutrient | Current Daily Value |
|---|---|
| Added sugars | 50g |
| Biotin | 30mcg |
| Calcium | 1300mg |
| Chloride | 2300mg |
| Choline | 550mg |
| Cholesterol | 300mg |
| Chromium | 35mcg |
| Copper | 0.9mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 28g |
| Fat | 78g |
| Folate/Folic Acid | 400mcg DFE |
| Iodine | 150mcg |
| Iron | 18mg |
| Magnesium | 420mg |
| Manganese | 2.3mg |
| Molybdenum | 45mcg |
| Niacin | 16mg NE |
| Pantothenic Acid | 5mg |
| Phosphorus | 1250mg |
| Potassium | 4700mg |
| Protein | 50g |
| Riboflavin | 1.3mg |
| Saturated fat | 20g |
| Selenium | 55mcg |
| Sodium | 2300mg |
| Thiamin | 1.2mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 275g |
| Vitamin A | 900mcg RAE |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.7mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.4mcg |
| Vitamin C | 90mg |
| Vitamin D | 20mcg |
| Vitamin E | 15mg alpha-tocopherol |
| Vitamin K | 120mcg |
| Zinc | 11mg |
FDA defines nutrient amounts as:
- Low: 5% DV or less per serving
- High: 20% DV or more per serving
For sodium, we use these categories:
- Sodium Free: 0 – 5 mg
- Low Sodium: 5 – 115 mg (5% DV)
- Moderate Sodium: 115 – 460 mg (20% DV)
- High Sodium: 460 – 1380 mg (60% DV)
- Very High Sodium: 1380 – 2300 mg (100% DV)
Calories
The FDA has two approaches to calories:
- Nutrient content claims – used for food label terms like “low calorie,” “reduced calorie.”
- General education guide – used to help consumers understand calorie levels on labels.
Because InSpoon is an educational app and does not make medical claims, we follow the second, simpler approach. It’s easier to understand and doesn’t require us to guess whether a food is a snack or a main dish.
FDA calorie ranges for consumers:
- Calorie Free: 0 – 5 kcal
Calorie-free claim definition - Low Calorie: 5 – 40 kcal
NIH: Low calorie definition - Moderate Calorie: 40 – 100 kcal
- Elevated Calorie: 100 – 400 kcal
- High Calorie: 400 – 2000 kcal (Daily Value guide)
A 2,000-calorie daily intake is used as a standard reference. More info: FDA calorie guidance
An example of the scales for nutrients and calories:
