Food Sources

Understanding what foods contribute to energy, nutrient, and food group intake enhances our ability to monitor diets relative to recommendations and gives context for dietary guidance. Examining the top sources of dietary constituents that should be reduced is especially helpful for identifying targets for changes in the marketplace and food environment.

The top food sources of the dietary components listed below have been identified using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Both the percentage contribution (e.g., 5.3% of energy from soda) and mean contribution (e.g., 114 kcal from soda) of various foods to each dietary component are provided, with stratification by age group, gender, race/ethnicity, and family income.

MyPyramid Food groups

• Food groups
• Beverages

Macronutrients

• Fat
  • Total fat
  • Saturated fatty acids
  • Other fatty acids
• Cholesterol
• Protein
• Carbohydrate
• Fiber

Energy & Discretionary Calories

• Energy
• Calories from solid fats
• Calories from added sugars
• Dietary sources of Energy, Solid Fats, and Added Sugars Among Children & Adolescents in the US, J Am Diet Assoc, Oct. 2010

Micronutrients

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Calcium