The Charts Below Show the Average Percentages in Typical Meals

Lilie King
Written by Lilie

7.5 in Academic Writing

April 15, 2021

The charts below show the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

This essay question is from Cambridge IELTS 14 Test 1 Writing Task 1.

Average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA

average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients

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Sample Essay

The pie charts show the average consumption of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar by meal. All three categories of nutrients may be harmful to health if over-consumed. <Watch the video at 00:41 to learn the use of “by meal”. >

Overall, while the intake of sodium and saturated fat is higher at dinner than at any other meal, added sugar is eaten most in snacks. <Watch the video at 02:27 to learn why “most” instead of “the most” is used.>

Sodium consumption is highest at dinner and second highest at lunch, making up 43% and 29% of total sodium consumption respectively. The proportions of this type of nutrient taken in at snack time and breakfast are the same, both at 14%. Dinner and lunch also account for the largest and the second largest proportions of total saturated fat intake respectively, at 37% and 26%. However, a greater proportion is eaten at snack time, at 21%, than at breakfast, at 16%.

Compared with the other two nutrients, added sugar has a relatively low consumption level at dinner, at 23%. It is snacks that are the greatest source of sugar intake, at 42%.  However, like the other nutrients, it is also consumed least at breakfast, at only 16%. (179 Words)

How to Vary Your Language

Eat
  • Consume

Example: Sodium is consumed most at dinner.

  • Take in

Example: Sodium is taken in most at dinner.

  • Consumption

Example: Dinner accounts for the largest proportion of total sodium consumption.

  • Intake

Example: Dinner accounts for the largest proportion of total sodium intake.

How to Describe the Biggest Categories

  • Dinner is the greatest source of sodium intake.
  • The intake of sodium is higher at dinner than at any other meal.
  • Sodium is taken in most at dinner.
  • Dinner accounts for the largest proportion of total sodium intake.
  • Sodium consumption is highest at dinner.
🔻 Note that here I used ‘highest’, not ‘the highest’. We tend to use “highest” without “the” when we are comparing something with itself in different circumstances. Here, we’re not comparing sodium consumption with the consumption of other types of nutrients. We are comparing sodium consumption at dinner with that at other meals.

30 CommentsLeave A Comment

  1. This helps me a lot to understand how to use eat in different ways. Thank you so much but here is the question I got when I’m reading. They just asked to summarise the main features. But in your answer it contains all the percentages not the main features. Isn’t it a barrier to get a high score.

  2. Hi Lilie, thank you for the examples. I am confused about if it is necessary to mention “all of which are unhealthy …”?

  3. The given pie charts illustrate the percentage of three kinds of nutrients in American daily meals which can be harmfull if consumed excessively.
    Overall,consumption of sodium in dinner and sugar in snacks may be have the highest risk of damage to healthy among all.
    In dinner meal the percentage of sodium with 43% has the highest rate among other nutrients and saturated fat with 37% and sugar with 23% are located in the second and third places.consumption of sodium in breakfast and snacks is equal at 14% which is considered the lowest percent for this nutrient among all of the meals.The amounts of Sugar and fat eaten in breakfast meal are the same at 16%.
    Sugar in the type of snack meal has the most rate of consumption between all with 42%,while the rate of consumed fat,with half of the amount of sugar,is 21%.In the lunch meal,the percentage of consumption of sodium,fat and sugar are 29%,26% and 19% respectively.

    what is the band score for this essay?

  4. The graph illustrates information regarding the USA people consume averages percentages in four meals which including three kinds of nutrients, sodium、saturated fats and added sugars and may also pose a threat to them. In this essay, we will look at the main information we can see from the visual data.

    In general, the information from the pie chart presents the highest proportion of sodium and saturated fat is dinner while the most notable ratio of added sugar is snacks.

    As we can see from this graph, the highest and the second highest of the sodium consumption are the dinner and lunch, with 43 % and 29 % of the total sodium consumption respectively. Similarly, the dinner and the snacks account for the same percentage, both are 14%. Additionally, USA people eat the snacks and the dinner are the largest (42%) and the second largest (23%) proportion of the total added sugar. However, their breakfast is the less consumption at 16 % of the added sugar.

    On the other hand, it is observed that the situation reveals a main and the second main consumption of saturated fat is dinner and snacks, with 37 % and 21% respectively. Meanwhile, the less percentage of the saturated fat is breakfast, which is only 16 %.

  5. The Three pie charts draw the conclusion of a survey of nutrients may be harmful to health if over-consumed.

    Overall, the average consumption of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar by meal. While the assimilation of sodium and saturated fat is higher at dinner than at any other meal, added sugar is eaten most in snacks.

    Turning to the first two chart, we can observe that sodium digestion is highest at dinner and second highest at lunch, being 43% and 29% of total respectively. The porportion of this type of nutrient taken in at snacks time and breakfast are the same, both at 14%. In dinner and lunch also account for the largest and second largest proportions of the total saturated fat intake respectively, at 37% and 26%. However, a greater proportion is eaten at snacks time, at 21%, than at breakfast, at 16%.

    Taking a closer look at the last chart we can see the added sugar has a relatively low intake level at dinner, at 23%. While the time of snacks that are the significant source of sugar intake, at 42%. However, such as other nutrients, it is also consumed least at breakfast, at only 16%.

  6. I think – while the intake of sodium and saturated fat are higher at dinner than at any other meal.
    not is higher

    1. Let me extend Lilie’s reply a little bit: In this sentence, “the intake” is a singular subject, and “is” is the appropriate singular verb to match it. While the sentence discusses both sodium and saturated fat, they are part of a compound subject, and when a compound subject is joined by “and,” it is still treated as a singular subject if the elements are considered as a whole.

  7. Sorry but I confused between these two sentences “sodium is highest and second highest at lunch” and “dinner and lunch also acoounts for the largest and the second largest proportions of …”
    I mean why in the second sentence have “the” in comparative because as you mentinoned in the video, when compare with itshelf, we don’t need use “the”?
    Can you explain more for me? Thanks

    1. Sorry for the confusion. The rule I mentioned in the video apply to only adjectives, like highest or largest. If it’s a noun phrase, like largest proportion, always use “the”.

  8. Maybe it should be like this?: “Sodium consumption is highest at dinner and second highest at lunch, making up 43% and 29% of the total nutrient consumption in each of these two meals.”

  9. “Sodium consumption is highest at dinner and second highest at lunch, making up 43% and 29% of total sodium consumption respectively.”
    I think the figure 43% doesn’t mean that sodium accounts for 43 % of this nutrient’s daily total intake, but means that 43% of all nutrients amount in a dinner. Because the percentages for sodium(43%, 37%, 23%) in the three charts doesn’t added up to 100%.

  10. The given pie charts illustrates the proportion of consumption of three different meals i.e sodium, saturated fat and added sugar that are harmful if it taken heavy.

    Overall, it is clearly seen that dinner has the highest percentage in sodium and saturated fat as compared to added sugar.While the added sugar has more ratio of snacks than that other meal.

    In general, sodium and saturated fat contain about 26 to 29% of lunch while added sugar contain only 19%.And breakfast contain same percentage in saturated fat and added sugar while sodium contain least percentage.

    On the other hand, sodium has least ratio that is 14% in snacks while saturated fat has 21%.

  11. The three charts illustrate the ratio of sodium, saturated fats and added sugar in average daily meals consumed by Americans.The percentages of these three nutrients in the meal that American citizens affect by bad combination of food.
    Overall, Dinners and lunches that the American resident consume are sodium, and saturated fats rich while their snacks have a high portion of added sugar.
    In details, sodium carried the highest or nearly half (43%) portion in dinner while least sodium consumed in breakfast and snacks that was 14% it was equal portion ,and lunch has 29 % of the whole.
    In other hand , saturated fats and added sugar accounted equal percentages for breakfast that is 16% . Added sugar is doubled that of saturated fats for breakfast. Lunch and dinner has added sugar 16% and 23% whereas saturated fats was 16% and 37% respectively.

  12. Thank you Ms Lilie 🙂 with the help of your clear explanation My writing is improving and I understand to how write a clear and good essays and I hope you will carry on your work!

  13. These three graphs show the different nutrients that people get from bad meals.

    Overall, the main nutrients consumed at dinner are sodium and saturated fat. Additionally, snacks often contain added sugar.

    At dinner, sodium and saturated fat account for 43% and 37%, respectively, of the total calories. which make up over half of the meal. The levels of sodium and saturated fat in the lunch are 29% and 26% higher, respectively. Saturated contains 37% of total calories throughout the breakfast and lunch hours. However, both meals include 14% more sodium than usual.
    When it comes to added sugar, 42% of it is added to snacks that are eaten as meals. Then, 23% of all food was only consumed during dinner. The remaining additional sugar is consumed at breakfast and lunch.

    1. Hi, thanks for your question. Please read the two sentences carefully. These are two different grammar constructions.

  14. The three graphs illustrate the average proportion of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar consisted in typical meals for Americans. It is surprising to note that sodium and saturated fat are the main nutritional component of dinners while added sugar is regarded as the dominant element of snacks in the USA.

    The percentage of sodium and saturated fat, the dominant nutrients in typical American dinners, accounted for 43% and 37% respectively, while they are also the second most component of lunch constituting 29% and 26% respectively. As for added sugar, it is the major constituent of snacks making up 42%.

    When comparing the nutrients by meals, it seems that the American breakfast is the healthiest since it contains only 14% of sodium, 16% of saturated fat, and 16% of added sugar, and all of them rank as the lowest amount among the four meals those are compared. However, American dinner appears to be the unhealthiest meal as sodium, saturated fat and added sugar contributed significantly to its nutrient share.

    In conclusion, sodium and saturated fat are the major component of American dinner making it less healthy to eat. As expected, snacks contain mainly added sugar and a large portion of sodium making them an unhealthy option as well.

  15. Dear lilie,
    Thank you for the report.

    Can we use “likewise” instead of “also” where saturated fat’s pie chart is analysed. This is because dinner and lunch have the same pattern as the previous one.
    Thanks,
    Masoud

    1. Thanks for your question. Of course, you can’t simply replace “also” with “likewise”. How are you going to use “likewise”? Can you provide a complete sentence? It’s hard to say without seeing your actual sentence.

  16. The charts illustrate the average percentages in typical meals of sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars consumed in the USA. Each one of them can be unhealthy if eaten too much.
    Overall, breakfast has stayed almost equal to all three nutrients in the USA. Lunch meals have shown a little diversity. Meanwhile, the biggest difference is detailed with nutrients in the dinner time and snacks.
    During breakfast, the average percentage of sodium is 14%. Meanwhile, the 16 % is equal in both saturated fat and added sugars. During lunch, the average percentage of added sugar is 19 %. Meanwhile, 29 % is an average percentage of consuming sodium. Saturated fat has an average percentage of 26%.
    Dinner and snacks have the greatest change of all three nutrients. At the dinner time, Americans consume 43 % of sodium, the amount of saturated fat during dinner time is 37 %. However, the average percentage of added sugars in typical meals is 23 %. The amount of consuming sodium while eating snacks is 14%, saturated fat is 21%. Though, the percentage of added sugar in the snack is 42 %.

  17. The chart illustrate the average proportion of three types of nutrients in typical meals, which may be unhealthy if consumed too much. The three nutrients contain sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. This data is taken from United Stated of America.

    Overall, Sodium and saturated fat are heavily consumed in dinner whereas highest percentage of added sugar is consumed in snacks.

    Firstly, Sodium is taken in small amounts in breakfast and snacks about 14% in both whereas, in lunch it is doubled up to 29%. However, Sodium consumed in dinner is the highest with 43%. On the other hand, Saturated fat goes with same trend as sodium. 21% of saturated fat is present in snacks and 16% in breakfast. In lunch saturated fat is consumed of 26% of total nutrients, but in dinner saturated fat is consumed about 37% which is highest for saturated fat among other typical meals.

    Lastly, added sugars are largely taken in snacks about 42% and least in breakfast of 16%. In lunch and dinner, it is at 19% and 23% of total nutrients. Among all the typical meals, balanced meal is breakfast for consuming adequate amount of nutrients.

  18. The pie charts illustrate the average proportions of three categories of nutrients in typical meals which lead to bad health if there was a huge intake.
    Overall,while the consumption of sodium and saturated fat was the highest at dinner time,added sugar was eaten most in snacks.
    While considering the nutrients consumption for breakfast,intake of both saturated fat and added sugar were same at 16%,sodium consumption was less than 2% of the above nutrients.Sodium intake for lunch was 29% which was the highest and the least consumed nutrient was added sugar which was 19%.
    Sodium was consumed at a maximum rate 43% at dinner time and saturated fat was also closely consumed at 37%.It was the snacks that were the greatest source of added sugar intake,42%

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