NUMBER OF FOOD ITEMS AS AN INDICATOR OF NUTRIENT INTAKE

Total food duplicates for 24 hours were collected from farmers in Japa n, once in 1977-1981 (109 subjects) and then in 1991-1992 (72 subjects ). Nutrients (including energy, protein, fat, some minerals, and sever al vitamins) in each food item in the food duplicate were estimated ta king advantage of the values given in the Standard Tables of Food Comp ositions in Japan. The number of the food items in each food duplicate was counted excluding duplication. Analyses demonstrated that the dai ly nutrient intake (especially that of energy, protein and vitamin B-1 ) has a significant association with the number of items of food taken a day, that the daily intake of most nutrients is sufficient when 30 food items were taken a day, but that the sufficient supply of calcium and iron needs an intake of more than 30 food items.