Start with the portion.
Before comparing nutrition numbers, check how much food each number describes.
General information, not personal advice · Updated 6 October 2026
Key points
- A nutrition number describes a stated amount of food: a whole portion, one serving or 100 grams.
- Per portion tells you what you would eat; per 100 g tells you how concentrated the food is.
- On packaged-food labels, 5% Daily Value or less is a little and 15% or more is a lot.[2]
- Sauces, sides and other options change the numbers, so ask whether they are included.
Find the reference amount
A figure may describe a full dish, one serving or 100 grams. These are different bases for comparison. Look for a stated portion and unit beside the number.
On a packaged food, every value in the Nutrition Facts table is based on the serving size shown at the top of the table.[1][2] Your own portion may or may not match that serving size.[2]
A restaurant record is not a Nutrition Facts table, but the same question applies: how much food does this number describe?
Compare like with like
If two figures use different portion sizes, a direct comparison can be misleading. Check both the quantity and the serving description. A per-100-gram figure describes concentration, while a whole-dish figure describes the stated meal amount.
Two fictional dishes from our sample demo show the difference. The roasted vegetable bowl has 480 mg of sodium in a 350 g portion. The kale and quinoa salad with almonds has 410 mg in a 300 g portion.
| Dish | Portion (g) | Sodium per portion (mg) | Sodium per 100 g (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roasted vegetable bowl (DEMO-01) | 350 | 480 | 137 |
| Kale and quinoa salad with almonds (DEMO-06) | 300 | 410 | 137 |
Per 100 g, the two are the same: about 137 mg. Per portion, the bowl has 70 mg more, because its portion is larger. If you are counting what you will eat, use the portion figure.
Work through an illustrative comparison
Suppose a fictional 350 g meal contains 480 mg of sodium. The 480 mg value describes the defined portion, not every possible serving size. Compared with a 600 mg example limit, that portion is 120 mg below the limit.
Two equally named dishes may have different portion weights. Before comparing their numbers, check whether the values describe whole portions or a common reference amount. Extras and options should be included in the amount you intend to eat.
In our demonstration, a missing sodium value produces no comparison. It is not treated as zero. The example limit is not dietary advice; use any targets you have agreed with your healthcare professional.
Read the % Daily Value
On packaged foods, the % Daily Value shows whether a serving has a little or a lot of a nutrient: 5% Daily Value or less is a little, and 15% or more is a lot.[1][2]
For foods meant for people aged four and older, the Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg.[3] The quick guide was written for packaged-food labels, and a Daily Value is a labelling reference, not a personal target.
Check the extras
Dressings, sides and substitutions may be listed separately. Ask whether the displayed information includes your selected options. Changing an option can change the numbers.
In our sauce sample, the same fictional base dish has between 500 mg and 1,300 mg of sodium, depending on which sauce is added and how much.
Treat estimates as estimates
A calculation based on a recipe describes that recorded recipe and portion. It is not a measurement of every individual plated meal. Clear information should explain its basis and any relevant limits.
Use guidance from your healthcare professional for personal dietary targets; this guide does not set them.
Sources
- Health Canada. Focus on the Facts – How to use Serving Size and % Daily Value. . Accessed .
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling: Nutrition facts table. . Accessed .
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling – Table of daily values. . Accessed .
This packaged-food labelling guidance explains how to interpret numbers. It does not mean every restaurant meal is required to carry the same label and does not endorse NutriChoice.
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