Quantitative approaches to nutrient density for public health nutrition.

Nutrient density, the vitamin or mineral content of a food or diet per unit energy, has long been a useful concept in the nutritional sciences. However, few nutritionists have applied the idea in quantitative, population-based nutrition planning and assessment. This paper discusses the conceptual issues related to the calculation of a nutrient density value that, if consumed, should meet the nutrient needs of most individuals in a population or sub-population, and outlines several methods for estimating this value. The paper also discusses the potential influence on the estimate's validity of factors such as skewed distributions and correlated energy intake and nutrient requirement.