The three pie charts illustrate the average proportions of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar contained in four types of meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks – consumed in the USA.
Overall, dinner accounts for the largest proportion of sodium and saturated fat, whereas snacks are by far the main source of added sugar.
Looking first at sodium, dinner represents the highest proportion, at 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. Moreover, breakfast and snacks each account for just 14%. Furthermore, a similar pattern can be seen for saturated fat. Dinner again has the largest share at 37%, while lunch has 26%. Snacks account for 21%, and breakfast has the lowest figure, at 16%.
The distribution of added sugar differs considerably. Snacks experience the largest proportion at 42%, which is almost twice the figure for dinner, at 23%. Additionally, lunch accounts for 19%, while breakfast has the smallest number, at 16%.
