Why are calorie counts in the recipes followed by an ‘E%’?
People have different energy and protein needs. The NFA’s recommendations, rarely state in weight the different nutrients you need. Recommendations only tell you what percentage of your daily energy intake should come from carbohydrates, protein and fat.
A recipe can state: “Carbohydrates: 60 g (25 E %)”
That means there are 60 g of carbohydrates in the meal. The next figure tells you the total amount of energy 25 % comes from carbohydrates, that is a fourth of the meals energy.
You can read more here about how you calculate energy percentage:
http://www.eatmorevegetarian.com/percentage-energy-in-food-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-calculate-it/
When energy percentage is used in a recipe it is easy to see how the meal is composed in comparison to the daily recommendations – please note that daily recommendations differ a little from country to country so these are approximate recommendations:
Carbohydrates and fibre: 45-60 E % (for a GI diet it is 30-45 E %)
Proteins: 10-20 E % (for a GI diet it is 25 E %)
Fat: 25-40 E % (for a GI diet it is 30 E %)
By using both energy percentage and calories in the recipes, you can quickly and easy keep a balanced diet.
