| Traditionally, food distributors, and the nutrition | | | | basis. |
| industry has used Recommended Daily Allowance | | | | First estimated in World War II, food supply |
| or RDA as the yard stick for measuring the | | | | nutrients assess the nutrients availability and their |
| amount of vitamins and nutrients the human body | | | | value in the food supply. This was basically used |
| needs to function properly. Obviously, these | | | | as a goal to measure those same values in our |
| nutrients come from the food we consume. | | | | Allies. Over the years they have been updated to |
| However, when discussing the actual supply of | | | | adjust for the use of food composition data, |
| those nutrients in the food, RDA assumes an | | | | commodity values, advances in technology, and |
| even availability of all food groups to all people. | | | | changes in specific industry fortification policy and |
| That just doesn't work well across all | | | | marketing practices. Health concerns amid nutrition |
| demographics. | | | | science discoveries since the 1970's have also |
| Compare the lifestyle of someone who has | | | | been influential in those same industries and the |
| makes an above average income, but has a very | | | | population as a whole and monitoring nutritional |
| busy lifestyle and very little time to shop for | | | | values. |
| food, cook and prepare it versus a median | | | | This allows for unique information on the amount |
| income household with one spouse that takes | | | | of available nutrients and what vitamins nutritional |
| care of the grocery shopping and food | | | | supplements may be needed in ore to meet the |
| preparation. | | | | RDA. Specifically based on gender and age group, |
| The person with a faster paced lifestyle tends to | | | | nutrient goals have historically been based on the |
| gravitate towards convenience foods that are | | | | Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), and |
| quick and easy to prepare but possess lower | | | | absolutely essential basis to meet the nutritional |
| nutritional value. The person that has the time to | | | | needs of the U.S. population. |
| shop for and prepare the proper balanced foods, | | | | Even taking nutrition supply per capita, most |
| will inherently stand a better chance of a balance | | | | people still are not getting the proper vitamins and |
| and proper vitamin and nutrition intake. It is for | | | | minerals in their daily diets, and must take |
| this reason that the better discussion method is | | | | vitamins nutrition supplements to meet their age |
| "food supply nutrients" which uses a per capita | | | | and gendered specific allowance. |