2,000-Calorie Diet Breakdown: How to Read a Nutrition Label

Have you ever looked at the small print on the Nutrition Facts label? At the bottom, you’ll see a notation that says that some of the information provided is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. On most labels, the text reads: "Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs."

The text on some newer Nutrition Facts labels may read: "The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice."

That notation can be confusing if you’re trying to use the label to eat a healthy diet. Let's dive into a 2,000-calorie diet breakdown and learn the best way to use this information.

What Is a 2,000-Calorie Diet?

In order to provide the most helpful nutritional data to consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a 2,000-calorie diet as an example on the part of the Nutrition Facts label that provides information about Daily Values and Percent Daily Value (%DV). It is not a recommendation to eat 2,000 calories.

It is also not meant to imply that a 2,000-calorie diet is better or worse than a 1,200-calorie or 2,500-calorie diet. So why does the FDA use the 2,000-calorie figure on the label?

Average Americans will have a daily caloric intake in that approximate range. Using that figure, the nutritional information provided can be useful for a wide audience.

Your unique daily calorie needs are based on your body size, weight goals, and activity level. A person trying to lose or gain weight would adjust their daily caloric intake to reach their specific health goals.

Find out how many calories you should consume daily using simple math or an online calorie calculator. Many weight-loss plans are based on a 1,200-calorie diet for women and a 1,600-calorie diet for men.

2,000-Calorie Diet Breakdown

A diet that provides 2,000 calories daily might seem like it would include a lot of food. But the actual 2,000-calorie diet breakdown is more reasonable than you might imagine. Here is a sample meal plan.

Breakfast (approximately 500 calories)

• 2 eggs, fried or scrambled
• 1 slice of whole-wheat bread
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 half grapefruit or small glass of juice

Snack (100 calories)

• One medium apple

Lunch (approximately 650 calories)

• Turkey sandwich on rye bread with mayonnaise
• Carrots and celery sticks with hummus
• One medium chocolate chip cookie
• One glass of 2% milk

Snack (100 calories)

• One small snack bar

Dinner (650 calories)

• Grilled salmon (4 ounces) with lemon
• Small baked potato with butter
• Steamed broccoli
• One-half cup of vanilla ice cream

What Are Daily Values?

Daily Values or DVs are nutrient intake recommendations based on the advice of national health experts. A list of Daily Values for key nutrients is provided at the bottom of some—but not all—food labels.

Smaller labels are not required to provide the information. Values are listed for a 2,000-calorie diet and a 2,500-calorie diet.

Note that some of these recommendations have been updated based on the most recent nutrition science and are reflected in the updated Nutrition Facts label. They are used to calculate the percent Daily Value.

Recommendations for saturated fat (20 grams) and cholesterol (300 milligrams) have not changed, while the following values have either been updated or added for nutrients featured in newer versions of the Nutrition Facts label.

• No more than 78 grams or 702 calories from total fat
• No more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium
• 275 grams or 1,100 calories from carbohydrates
• At least 28 grams of fiber
• No more than 50 grams of sugar
• 20 micrograms of vitamin D
• 1,300 milligrams of calcium
• 18 mg of iron
• 4,700 milligrams of potassium

Also, keep in mind these values are recommendations and not a specific prescription for good health or proper eating. A registered dietitian or health professional can provide nutritional recommendations to meet your specific health needs. Also, pregnant women and children have different recommended values for macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

What Is Percent Daily Value?

Percent Daily Value (%DV or % Daily Value) tells you how much food contributes to your total recommended intake of a given nutrient. Percent Daily Values are listed in a column on the right side of the Nutrition Facts Label.

You can use % Daily Value figures to see if you are getting the recommended intake of important nutrients like fat, protein, calcium, and fiber. You can also use the data to make sure you are not getting too much of certain nutrients that should be limited, like saturated fat or cholesterol.

For each nutrient, the label lists the number of grams or milligrams a single serving of that food provides. This information is listed in a column on the left side of the label. For example, you might look at the label of your favorite snack and see that it provides two grams of saturated fat.

You will see a percentage on the right side of the label. It describes how that food contributes to your recommended intake of that nutrient if you eat a 2,000-calorie per day diet.

Because your favorite snack provides 2 grams of saturated fat, it would provide 10% of your total intake of saturated fat for the day. You would see “10%” listed in the “% Daily Value” column.

Ways to Use Percent Daily Value

What if you don’t eat 2,000 calories per day? Is the Percent Daily Value information useless? Not really. The FDA has suggestions for using Percent Daily Values and other nutritional information no matter how many calories you consume. You can use the information to:

Make Food Comparisons

If you are trying to choose between a few different brands or products, you can compare the labels to see how each product will contribute to your daily nutritional needs. Be sure to compare foods with similar serving sizes.

Check the serving size at the top of the Nutrition Facts label. Then check the % Daily Value column to see which food contributes more of the nutrients you need and less of the nutrients you don’t.

Verify Claims on Food Packages

You might see a nutritional claim on a food package that sounds appealing. It’s smart to verify those claims by checking the Nutrition Facts label. For example, you might see a food advertising it is “lower in calories.” But it may not actually be low in calories.

If the food you’re looking at provides 200 calories per serving, it might be lower in calories than its competitor, but it is not a low-calorie food. You can also verify claims about nutrients. Foods that provide 5% DV of a particular nutrient are considered low and those that provide 20% DV or more are considered high.

For example, if your favorite cereal advertises it is a good source of fiber, you can check the Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label to see if it is a high-fiber or low-fiber food. If the % Daily Value listed for fiber is 25%, the cereal is a high-fiber food.

Make Food Trade-Offs

As you become more comfortable using the Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label, you can scan it to trade low-nutrient foods for higher-nutrient foods. If you are trying to reduce your salt intake, for example, check the % DV of comparable foods and choose the one with the lowest percent listed in the row for sodium. Or if you are trying to increase your protein intake, you can look for foods that have a higher percent listed for protein.

Do You Eat a 2,000-Calorie Diet?

Many smart consumers and healthy eaters don’t know how many calories they consume daily. If you’re not a big eater, you might eat 1,500 calories per day or even less. So you may not know how—or if—you should use the Daily Values and Percent Daily Values listed on the Nutrition Facts Label.

Either fill out a paper journal or use a smartphone app or website to count calories. After a week or so of counting calories, you should have a good estimate of your daily calorie intake. Once you have your number you can adjust it to meet your goals and use the Nutrition Facts label to evaluate how each food contributes to your daily plan.

A Word From Verywell

Remember, the information provided on the Nutrition Facts label is based on general 2,000-calorie diet guidelines. Using it can help you to eat a well-rounded diet for good health. If you need personalized nutrition advice to manage a health condition, speak to your doctor or seek the advice of a registered dietitian.