Evaluation of the Nutrient Guide as a dietary assessment tool

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Nutrient Guide as a quantitative estimate of dietary adequacy. Using 24-hour dietary recalls of 300 men, food group and overall diet scores based on the Nutrient Guide were compared with nutrient adequacy ratios for eight nutrients and a mean adequacy ratio derived from nutrient analysis. Caloric, fat, and sodium intakes estimated using Nutrient Guide ratings were also compared with nutrient Nutrient Guide ratings were also compared with nutrient analysis estimates. Correlations between food group scores and nutrient adequacy ratios were all positive and significant. Regression analyses revealed a strong linear relationship between caloric, fat, and sodium intakes estimated by the two methods and a curvilinear relationship between mean adequacy ratio and total diet score. These results suggest that the Nutrient Guide can be used to provide a reasonable estimate of adequacy for the nutrients upon which the guide is currently based. Food group and total diet scores in either the upper or lower ends of the score ranges seemed to be better predictors of individual nutrient or overall dietary adequacy than did mid-range scores, which slightly underestimated dietary adequacy of the selected nutrients.