The charts illustrate the mean proportion of three types of nutrients in typical meals, all of which may be harmful if eaten in excess.
Overall, dinner contains the highest proportions of sodium and saturated fat, while snacks are the main source of added sugar. Breakfast generally has the lowest levels of all three nutrients.
In terms of sodium, dinner accounts for the largest share at 43%, followed by lunch at 29%. By contrast, breakfast and snacks each contribute only 14%. A similar trend can be seen for saturated fat, where dinner again represents the highest proportion at 37%. Lunch makes up 26%, while snacks and breakfast account for 21% and 16% respectively.
The pattern for added sugar is different. Snacks contain the highest percentage at 42%, which is almost twice as much as dinner at 23%. Lunch and breakfast contribute smaller proportions, at 19% and 16% respectively.
