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Updated: Jul 25, 2026
'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake
Published on: September 18, 2018
An easy-to-use semiquantitative food record validated for energy intake by using doubly labelled water technique
C Koebnick1, K Wagner, F Thielecke
1Dietary Fibre and the Metabolic Syndrome Group, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany. koebnick@mail.dife.de
Background:
Estimating dietary intake is important for both epidemiological and clinical studies, but often lacks accuracy.
Objective:
To investigate the accuracy and validity of energy intake estimated by an easy-to-use semiquantitative food record (EI(SQFR)) compared to total energy expenditure (TEE) estimated by doubly labelled water technique (EE(DLW)).
Design:
TEE was measured in 29 nonobese subjects using the doubly labelled water method over a period of 14 days. Within this period, subjects reported their food consumption by a newly developed semiquantitative food record for 4 consecutive days. Energy intake was calculated using the German Food Code and Nutrition Data Base BLS II.3.
Results:
A good correlation was observed between EI(SQFR) and EE(DLW) (r = 0.685, P < 0.001). The mean difference between EI(SQFR) and EE(DLW) was -1.7+/-2.6 MJ/day (-14+/-21%, P = 0.002). An underestimation of EI(SQFR) <10% was observed in nine subjects (31%), of 10-20% in six subjects (21%), and of >20% in nine subjects (31%). In five subjects (17%), an overestimation of EI(SQFR) was observed.
Conclusions:
The easy-to-use semiquantitative food record provided good estimates of EI in free-living and nonobese adults without prior detailed verbal instructions. The presented food record has limitations regarding accuracy at the individual level.
