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Estimating nutrient intakes from 24-hour recalls and diet diaries

In general, the steps to extract nutrients from diet records are [6]:

  1. Select a food composition database: It is important to use time and population appropriate food composition databases as manufacturers can change formulation of food products over time. It is also often necessary to use more than one source and refer to manufacturers’ packets and recipe databases to code composite dishes e.g. lasagne.
  2. Match foods listed in the DAT with entries in the food composition database. This can involve grouping different food items together.
  3. If food/drinks are estimated in household measures, portion sizes in grams or standard units need to be allocated. This can be based on previously published standard portion sizes.
  4. Calculate the nutrients based on the food composition database and portion size.
  5. For unknown foods/groups or recipes where there is difficulty translating to appropriate food codes and/or weight, assumptions are often made with the input of a nutritionist/dietician.

Explore the cross-study guides

Dietary data

Learn about the dietary measures and estimated nutrient intake information available within and across eight CLOSER partner studies.

Physical activity measures

Explore the measures used to assess diverse aspects of physical activity within and across six CLOSER partner studies.

Cognitive measures data

Discover the measures used to assess diverse aspects of cognition within and across five CLOSER partner studies.