Low dietary energy density (DED) has been associated with higher dietary quality. The objective of this analysis was to examine the dietary quality of Irish adults with low, medium or high DED using data from the National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS) (http://www.iuna.net).
Dietary intake data were analysed using WISP© (Tinuviel Software, Anglesey, UK) that contains McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods, 6th edition(1). DED (kJ/g) was calculated using food only, excluding all beverages. Participants were stratified by gender and age and separated by tertile of DED into categories of low, medium and high DED. The mean daily intakes (MDI) of food, macronutrients, dietary fibre and micronutrients were examined across tertile of DED.
MDI of energy, macronutrient, dietary fibre and wt. of food consumed, by tertile of DED in Irish adults
Low DED was associated with higher intakes of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals and lower intakes of fat and saturated fat. This analysis shows that a low energy dense diet is associated with higher dietary quality.
The project was funded by the Irish Government under the Food for Health Research Initiative 2007–2012.
