The pie charts illustrate the average proportions of three nutrients—sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar—in typical meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks consumed in the USA. Overall, dinner and snacks are the primary sources of these nutrients, whereas breakfast consistently contributes the smallest percentages.
Sodium intake is highest at dinner (43%), followed by lunch (29%), while breakfast and snacks each account for 14%. Similarly, saturated fat shows a similar percentages, with dinner contributing the largest share (37%), with the subsequent lunch (26%), snacks (21%), and breakfast (16%).
In contrast, added sugar exhibits a distinct trend. Snacks are the main source, making up 42% of intake—nearly double the proportion at dinner (23%). Lunch and breakfast contribute 19% and 16%, respectively. While breakfast consistently has the lowest percentages across all three nutrients, snacks and dinner together represent the highest concentrations, particularly for added sugar and sodium.