BIOL203 Lesson 2

• Nutrient Standards and Guidelines

  • Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
  • Estimated Energy Requirements (EER)
  • Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)
• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)


  Values used for planning and assessing nutrient intake in Canada and USA. Includes Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), Adequate Intakes (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL).
• EAR

  Estimated Average Requirement, the amount of a nutrient that meets the needs of 50% of the population
• RDA

  Recommended Dietary Allowance, the amount of a nutrient that meets the needs of 98% of the population
• AI

  Adequate Intake, the average daily nutrient intake level that appears sufficient for a specific indicator of adequacy
• UL

  Tolerable Upper Intake Level, the maximum daily amount of a nutrient that appears safe for most healthy people
• DRI values differ by gender and life stage (e.g. 9-13, 14-18, 19-30, 31-50, 51-76, 0-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-3 years, 4-8 years)
• EER

  Estimated Energy Requirement, the average dietary energy intake that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined age, gender, weight, height, and level of physical activity consistent with good health
• AMDR


  Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges, the range of intake for a particular energy source that is associated with reduced risk of chronic disease while providing adequate amounts of essential nutrients
• There are no RDA values for infants because rigorous studies cannot be ethically conducted
• Food Groups

  • Grains
  • Milk & Alternatives
  • Meat & Alternatives
  • Vegetables & Fruits
• Grains are the seeds of grasses, and can be enriched or fortified to replace nutrients lost during processing; rich in carbohydrates, fibre (only whole grains), vitamins, and minerals
• Milk & Alternatives includes milk and milk products that retain their calcium content, and are often fortified with vitamins A and D; rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals
• Meat & Alternatives includes meat, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs, nuts and seeds, which are rich in protein, minerals and vitamins
• Vegetables & Fruits include fresh, frozen or canned vegetables, fruits, 100% fruit juice and 100% vegetable juice, which are rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals
• Food Guides provide nutrient recommendation standards and suggest a number of servings per day from each food group
• Who uses DRIs?

  • Nutrition experts (registered dietitians)
  • Food industry, regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Nutrition facts table: must include 13 core nutrients