Food Comparison Calculator for Label Values
This food comparison calculator puts the label values of two or three foods side by side, per the same weight or per your own portions, and shows which food has more of each nutrient and by how much.
Compare foods side by side
Foods (example label values shown; replace them with your own)
Copy each value from the label together with the amount it refers to, such as per 100 g. Leave a value blank if the label does not show it; it is then treated as unknown, not as zero. Match the preparation: a cooked-food label for cooked food.
Differences are worked out from the rounded values shown. Label values are rounded by the maker. This tool compares nutrients only and does not rank foods or give an overall score.
How does the food comparison calculator work?
The food comparison calculator scales the label values you type to one common amount, then shows the difference between the highest and lowest value for every nutrient. It never uses built-in food data, so the answer is only as good as the labels you copy. For each food it works out:
value at your amount = label value × amount ÷ label amount
difference = highest value − lowest value
percentage = difference ÷ lowest value × 100
If the lowest value is 0, a percentage would be meaningless, so only the absolute difference is shown. A blank field is unknown, not zero: the table says “not entered” and the nutrient is not compared for that food. Amounts are converted exactly, so a label per 1 kg works with a comparison per 100 g. Weight and volume are never mixed, because that needs a density the tool does not guess.
Worked example: cooked rice and whole-wheat roti
These are example label values, not reference values. Both labels are per 100 g. The rice portion is 200 g and the roti portion is 40 g:
| Nutrient | Rice per 100 g | Roti per 100 g | Rice, 200 g | Roti, 40 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 130 kcal | 300 kcal | 260 kcal | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 2.7 g | 10 g | 5.4 g | 4 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g | 8 g | 0.8 g | 3.2 g |
Per 100 g, roti has 170 kcal more energy than rice, 131% above the lower value. At the portions above, rice has 140 kcal more than roti, 117% above the lower value. Protein flips in the same way. Fibre does not: roti is higher in fibre in both comparisons.
Why can equal weight and real portions disagree?
In any food comparison calculator, equal weight and real portions disagree whenever the foods are eaten in different amounts. A per 100 g column tells you how concentrated a food is, such as how much energy sits in the same weight of roti and rice. A portion column tells you what you actually eat. A dense food eaten in a small amount can supply less than a light food eaten in a large amount. When the order of two foods for a nutrient reverses between the two modes, the calculator adds a plain note, such as “Per 100 g, Whole-wheat roti has more energy, but at your portions Cooked rice has more.”
How do I read a label basis?
The label basis is the amount that the numbers on the pack refer to, usually written as “per 100 g” or “per 100 mL”, and sometimes “per serving”. Type that amount in the “label amount” box, for example 100 and g, then copy the values from the same column. If a pack shows both a per 100 g and a per serving column, use either one, but make sure the amount matches the column. Our nutrition label portion calculator converts a label to your own portion and explains per 100 g against per serving.
Why does this tool never pick a winner?
This food comparison calculator never picks a winner because “better” depends on what you need, and a nutrient table cannot know that. A food with more fibre may also have more energy, and a food with less salt may have less protein. Instead of an overall score, the table says which food is higher or lower for each nutrient and by how much, in neutral words. Use the result alongside your own goals and, for medical diets, advice from a doctor or registered dietitian.
What should I check before comparing foods?
- Match the preparation. A label for dry rice or raw lentils does not describe the cooked food, which has absorbed water. Use a cooked-food label for cooked food, and dry with dry.
- Check the unit. Per 100 g and per 100 mL cannot be compared directly. Enter foods by weight with weight, or by volume with volume.
- Enter what the label shows. If a value is missing, leave it blank. Type 0 only when the label shows 0.
- Remember the rounding. Labels are rounded, so a small difference may not be a real one.
Tips for a fair comparison
- Use a kitchen scale for portions. A weighed portion beats a guess. Our kitchen converter switches between kilograms, grams and ounces, or between millilitres, cups and spoons.
- Compare both modes. Check the same weight first, then your portions. The reversal notes show where they disagree.
- Read fibre and protein in context. See our guides to foods rich in fibre and the calories and nutrition in one roti.
- Add the price. If cost matters too, the unit price comparator compares what you pay per kilogram or litre.
Limits of this comparison
The food comparison calculator compares the numbers you type. It does not check them against a food database, does not know how a food was cooked and cannot judge portion size for you. Label values are rounded, natural foods vary, and a nutrient table says nothing about vitamins, minerals or how filling a food is. Treat the result as a clear side-by-side view, not as dietary advice.
For personal nutrition targets, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian. For everyday choices, the food comparison calculator gives you an honest, neutral look at what two or three foods really contain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Put both on the same footing first. Copy each food’s label values together with the amount they refer to, then compare them per the same weight, such as 100 g. After that, check them again at the portions you actually eat. In the example, roti has 300 kcal per 100 g and cooked rice has 130 kcal, so at equal weights rice has the lower energy.
Because no single food is best for everyone. Whether more fibre, less salt or fewer calories matters depends on your needs, your diet and the rest of the meal. The calculator shows each nutrient, the size of the difference and which food has the higher value, and leaves the decision to you. For personal advice, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
Look at both, because they answer different questions. Per 100 g shows how concentrated a food is. Per portion shows what lands on your plate. In the example, roti has more energy per 100 g (300 kcal against 130 kcal), but a 40 g roti gives 120 kcal while a 200 g plate of rice gives 260 kcal. The calculator flags these reversals.
Not directly. A label per 100 g and a label per 100 mL describe different things, and converting between them needs the food’s density, which varies. The calculator refuses weight against volume rather than guess. Enter both foods per weight, or both per volume. In My portions mode, each portion only has to match its own label.
It means you left that label value blank, so the calculator treats it as unknown, not as zero. A nutrient with a value for only one food cannot be compared, and the table names the food that is missing it. If the label really shows 0, type 0 and the nutrient is compared normally.