By the Nutriveda editorial team · Last reviewed 2026-10-22
Every number on Nutriveda comes from a named public database, and every health claim links to the study or the authority that made it. This page explains where the numbers come from, how we calculate them, how we round, and what we do when the science is not settled. It is short on purpose: if something here is unclear, tell us and we will fix the page, not just the answer.
Where the nutrition numbers come from
Our primary source is the USDA FoodData Central database, mainly the SR Legacy and Foundation Foods data types. Each food entry on this site and each recipe lists the FDC ID of the record we used, so you can open the same record and check it yourself.
We use USDA rather than a European table because it is free, complete, stable and has a public record for almost every raw ingredient. Where a food is specifically European (a protected-origin cheese, a local variety) and USDA has no close match, we say so in the entry and name the alternative source.
How we calculate a recipe
- Raw weights. Every ingredient is weighed raw, in grams, as listed in the recipe. Cups and spoons are given for convenience; the calculation uses grams.
- Per 100 g from the database, then scaled. We take the USDA value per 100 g of each ingredient, multiply by the weight in the recipe, and add everything up for the whole pot.
- Per serving = the pot divided by the number of servings. A serving is a share of the pot, not a measured plate. If a recipe serves 4, one serving is one quarter of everything that went in.
- Water loss is ignored. Cooking changes the weight of the dish, not the amount of protein, fat or carbohydrate in it. Values per serving are correct; values per 100 g of the cooked dish would not be, so we do not show them for recipes.
- Standard assumptions, stated in each recipe’s notes: a tablespoon of olive oil is 13.5 g, a clove of garlic is 3 g, lemon juice weighs about 1 g per ml, “1 medium onion” is the weight given in brackets.
- Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included unless the recipe says they are.
How we round
Energy is rounded to the nearest kilocalorie; protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre to one decimal place; salt to two decimals. Values below 0.05 g are shown as 0. Rounding happens once, at the end, so a serving value is never the sum of already-rounded parts.
Salt is reported as salt added in the recipe, not sodium from all ingredients, unless the entry says otherwise. “Added sugar” follows the same rule.
Daily values
When an entry shows what share of a day’s needs a food covers, the reference is the EFSA Dietary Reference Values for adults. We show these percentages only where they help a decision (vitamins, minerals, fibre), never for energy, because an adult’s energy need varies far too much for one number to be honest.
Health claims
A sentence like “fibre helps keep blood sugar steady after a meal” links to the source that supports it, usually EFSA, a national health body, or a peer-reviewed review. Where studies disagree, we say that they disagree and what the disagreement is about. We do not use the words “superfood”, “detox” or “miracle” as claims, and we do not publish sponsored claims: no company pays for a sentence on this site.
Updates and corrections
Each page carries a “last reviewed” date in the byline. Database values are re-checked when USDA publishes a new release or when a reader reports a difference. If you find an error, write to us with the page and the number; corrections are made on the page itself, with the date updated.
What this site is not
Nutriveda is information, not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. If you have a medical condition, an allergy or a prescription diet, use the numbers here as a starting point for a conversation with your doctor or dietitian, not as a replacement for it.
FAQ
Why USDA and not a European database?
Because it is public, free, has a stable record ID for every food, and covers almost every raw ingredient we use. For a food with no USDA match we name the source we used instead.
Are the values for raw or cooked food?
Encyclopedia entries say which in the table heading; most are raw per 100 g. Recipes are calculated from raw ingredient weights and shown per serving.
Why do your numbers differ from the packet?
Packets report the specific product; we report the database average for the food. Both are estimates. If you want precision for one brand, use the packet.
Who checks the pages?
The Nutriveda editorial team writes and checks every entry against the sources listed in it. There is no sponsored content. See About.
This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.