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Diet Quality and Food Consumption: Food Consumption and Nutrient Intake Tables

Nutrient Intake

Table 2 compares daily nutrient intake against recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. During 1994-96, individuals ate too much total fat, saturated fat, and sodium and not enough fiber and calcium.

Table 2—Average daily nutrient intakes as a percentage of recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Individuals ages 2 and older, 1977-78 and 1994-96
Age and gender	Calories (kcal)	Total fat (grams)	Saturated fat (grams)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Fiber (grams)	Calcium (mg)	Iron (mg)
	Percent
1977-78
All individuals ages 2 and older	82	134	.	.	.	.	71	100
Children ages 2-17	90	129	.	.	.	.	92	96
Adults ages 18 and older	79	136	.	.	.	.	63	102
Male adults ages 60 and older	86	138	.	.	.	.	59	130
Female adults ages 60 and older	76	130	.	.	.	.	46	96
1994-96
All individuals ages 2 and older	87	109	112	86	139	79	78	139
Children ages 2-17	95	108	119	75	129	97	95	132
Adults ages 18 and older	85	109	109	90	142	73	72	141
Male adults ages 60 and older	85	111	110	96	139	83	64	169
Female adults ages 60 and older	75	106	104	67	103	89	49	124

Notes: Saturated fat , cholesterol, sodium, and fiber were not reported in NFCS 1977-78. See table 4 (page 6) in Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet for recommended nutrient intakes.
Sources: Compiled by ERS, USDA from NFCS77-78 and CSFII94-96, one-day data.

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For more information, contact: Biing-Hwan Lin

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Updated date: pages updated: August 17, 2004