Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)


These FAQs provide basic information and related resources for common food and nutrition questions. For personalized dietary advice, please talk to a qualified health care professional.
Where can I get information on the level of calories, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals in various foods?



What is the difference between calories and kilocalories?


  • The "calorie" we refer to in food is actually kilocalorie. One (1) kilocalorie is the same as one (1) Calorie (upper case C). A kilocalorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water one degree Celsius. Please visit USDA's Nutrient Data Laboratory for additional information.

Where can I find a chart or list of foods with calcium?

  • For an extensive list of foods along with their calcium content, see Calcium Content of Selected Foods (PDF|133 KB).
  • If you would like to look up the calcium content of a specific food, you can also use USDA's online searchable database of food composition, the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, which has the nutrient content (including calcium, other minerals, vitamins, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content) of nearly 8,000 foods.


Is there a law that requires food labels to list ingredients that commonly cause food allergies?


  • The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, which went into effect January, 2006, requires that food labels identify in plain English if the product contains any of the eight major food allergens - milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soybeans.