An easier approach to achieving a balanced diet.

Daily Intakes (DI’s) are a set of reference values for a variety of nutrients, as well as energy. These nutrients include carbohydrates, sugars, protein, fat, saturated fat, fibre and sodium.

The DI values are based on an average adult diet of 8700kJ, which is the daily requirement for an average adult. As different nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat and fibre) contribute different amounts of energy, to get 100% of the Daily Intake for energy, you need a balance of these nutrients.

It is important to remember, that DI’s are not recommendations, they simply provide a benchmark suitable for the majority of people.

Energy and nutrient intakes vary from person to person depending on gender, age, weight and differing levels of activity. Very active people may have higher requirements, whereas younger children may have lower requirements.

% Daily Intakes is a simple way to learn more about the Daily Intake of
nutrients and energy for the whole day. The counter shows you what’s in a serve of Kellogg’s cereal & snacks and the percentage (%) it contributes to your daily diet. In other words, it is intended to help you to understand the relationship between the energy and nutrient content in a serving of a product and the DI’s. It is also useful to compare different products and help you choose the product most suited to your Daily Intake needs. This is important as it can help you and your family to select a wide variety of foods to achieve a balanced and varied diet. Once you start thinking about DI’s, it becomes easier over time to understand what is in different foods and drinks and what they contribute to your diet.

The DI values are calculated to achieve an energy intake of 8700kJ. Here’s what they mean and how they are calculated.

The DI of 8700kJ is based on the average energy consumption per day for adults.

Kilojoules(kJ) are the units used to measure the body’s energy requirements. A person’s energy requirements will vary depending on their age, weight, gender and level of activity.

You may also be familiar with the term ‘calorie’, which is the imperial measure of energy. To convert kilojoules to calories, simply divide the kilojoule figure by 4.18. (i.e. 1 calorie = 4.18 kilojoules)

The DI for protein is 50g, based on the average requirement for men and women.

Protein is an essential nutrient required for the growth and maintenance of body tissues.

The DI for fat is based on the recommendation that no more than 30% of our total energy (kilojoules) each day should come from fat. Based on 8700kJ, this equates to 70g.

Although a small amount of fat in the diet is essential, many people eat too much total fat. That’s why it is important to moderate your intake of total fat. To help keep you healthy, any fat you eat should be mainly mono- or polyunsaturated fat and you should aim to eat foods low in saturated fats. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are found in olive, safflower, sunflower and canola oils, margarines, avocados and nuts.

The DI for saturated fat is based on the recommendation that less than or equal to 10% of energy should come from saturated fat. Again, based on 8700kJ, this equates to 24g. As saturated fat is a type of fat, this 24g is part of the 70g of total fat and is not in addition to it.

Saturated fats are found mainly in full fat dairy products (cheese, yoghurt, milk, cream and butter), fatty cuts of meat and meat products like sausages, pastry, cakes, biscuits, coconut and palm oil. Choosing low fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat can help to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. It is important to moderate your intake of saturated fat.

The DI for carbohydrates is 310g, based on 60% of 8700kJ.

Carbohydrates are found in all sorts of different foods including cereals and grain based products such as rice and pasta, and also in fruits and vegetables. They are the body’s main source of energy along with fats, with the brain relying almost exclusively on carbohydrates for energy.

DI for sugars is 90g. Sugars are carbohydrates, so again, this 90g is part of the 310g for total carbohydrate and is not in addition to it.

Sugars refers to the total amount of sugars in the daily diet including what is generally termed as ‘added sugar’. For example; the sugar we add at the table and sugar added to foods like biscuits, cakes, soft drinks and confectionary, as well as ‘intrinsic sugars’ such as those present in dairy products and fruits. It is important to moderate your intake of total sugars.

The DI for fibre is 30g. This is based on the Australian Government
recommendations for adults to consume at least 30g of dietary fibre every day.

Fibre is the name used to describe several different compounds which are found in the walls of all plants. The body cannot digest fibre, but nevertheless it plays an important role in helping to keep us healthy.

The DI for sodium is 2300mg.

This figure is based on the maximum RDI for sodium. As the Dietary Guidelines for Australian adults recommend choosing low salt foods, it is important to moderate your intake of sodium.