Definitions and units of dietary variables and biomarkers included in the GDD 2017
| Dietary factor | Unit | Preferred definition | Alternative definition |
| Fruits | g/day | Total fruit intake, including fresh, frozen, cooked, canned or dried fruit, excluding fruit juices and salted or pickled fruits. | Total fruit intake including fruit juices, nuts/seeds, vegetables, salted/pickled, preserved and processed fruits (jams). |
| Non-starchy vegetables | g/day | Total vegetable intake, including fresh, frozen, cooked, canned or dried vegetables. This definition excludes salted or pickled vegetables, vegetable juices, starchy vegetables (eg, potatoes, taro, cassava, manioc, yucca, corn, peas) and legumes (beans and lentils). | Total vegetable intake including vegetable juices, starchy vegetables, nuts/legumes, nuts/beans, beans/legumes, salted/pickled vegetables and salted/pickled beans/legumes. |
| Potatoes | g/day | Total intake of white potatoes, including cooked (eg, boiled, baked, mashed, fried), frozen, canned, dehydrated potatoes. This definition includes french fries, chips and crisps. This definition excludes sweet potatoes and yams. | Includes other starchy vegetables. |
| Other starchy vegetables | g/day | Total intake of non-potato starchy vegetables, including fresh, frozen, cooked, canned, or dehydrated starchy vegetables. Examples of starchy vegetables include green peas, corn (including corn flour/corn meal), yam, sweet potatoes, taro, plantain, cassava, manioc, tannier (yautia), jicama, and water chestnuts. This definition excludes white potatoes. | Includes starchy fruits or potatoes and starches refined from starchy vegetables. May include non-starchy vegetables such as carrots and/or fruits such as mangos, sweet potatoes and hard squashes. |
| Beans and legumes | g/day | Total intake of beans and legumes (beans, lentils), including fresh, frozen, cooked, canned, or dried beans/legumes. This definition excludes peanuts and peanut butter. This definition includes soybeans but excludes soy milk and soy protein. | Includes nuts/seeds, soy protein, soy products, peanuts and peas. |
| Nuts and seeds | g/day | Total intake of tree nuts (eg, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios), seeds (eg, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds) and peanuts (including peanut butter). | Includes pulses, beans, legumes and foods primarily (>51%) from nuts or seeds. |
| Refined grains | g/day | Total intake of refined grains, defined as grains which have been milled to remove the bran and germ. Examples include white or polished rice, and products made with refined (white) flour, including white bread, pasta/noodles, cereals, crackers, and bakery products/desserts containing refined grains. This definition excludes corn products including corn flour and corn meal. | Includes corn products, soybeans, sweetened cakes and breads with grain as the main ingredient. May include whole grains. |
| Whole grains | g/day | Total intake of whole grains, defined as a food with ≥1.0 g of fibre per 10 g of carbohydrate, in which all components of the kernel (ie, bran, germ, and endosperm) are present in the same relative proportions as the intact grain. Examples include whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain breakfast cereals, oats, rye, barley, millet, sorghum, and bulgur. This definition excludes corn products including corn flour, corn meal and popcorn. | Includes wholegrain breads, cereals, rice/pasta, bread and other products such as biscuits. |
| Total processed meats | g/day | Total intake of processed meat, defined as any meat (including poultry) that has been cured, smoked, dried or chemically preserved. Examples include bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli or luncheon meats. This definition excludes fish and eggs. | Includes sausages and unprocessed meats. |
| Unprocessed red meats | g/day | Total intake of unprocessed red meat, defined as beef, pork, lamb, mutton or game that has not been cured, smoked, dried or chemically preserved. This definition excludes poultry, fish and eggs. | Includes processed red meats, poultry, fish and organ meats. |
| Total seafoods | g/day | Total intake of fish and shellfish. Examples include salmon, tuna, trout, tilapia, shrimp, crab, oysters and cephalopods. | Includes salted fish, processed fish and other animal products. |
| Eggs | g/day | Total intake of eggs produced by poultry/birds, including chicken, goose, or duck eggs. This definition excludes fish eggs. | |
| Cheese | g/day | Total intake of cheese derived from the milk of livestock (eg, cows, buffalo, yak), including hard cheese (eg, cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss), soft cheese (eg, ricotta, cottage cheese, paneer) and processed cheese. | Includes yoghurt, milk products and cheese. |
| Yoghurt | g/day | Total intake of yoghurt and fermented milk, including reduced-fat and full-fat yoghurt. | Includes dairy curd, buttermilk, paneer, cheese and milk. |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages | g/day | Total sugar-sweetened beverage intake, defined as any beverage with added sugar having ≥50 kcal per eight ounces (236.5 g) serving, including commercial or homemade beverages, soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, punch, lemonade, and frescas. This definition excludes 100% fruit and vegetable juices and non-caloric artificially sweetened drinks. | Includes fruit and vegetable juices. May also include coffee, tea and milk. |
| Fruit juices | g/day | Total intake of 100% fruit juice, excluding sugar-sweetened fruit juice and vegetable juice. | Includes fruit juices, vegetable juices and sweetened juices. |
| Coffee | Cups/day (one cup=8 ounces) | Total coffee intake including caffeinated, decaffeinated, sweetened or unsweetened coffee. | Includes tea. |
| Tea | Cups/day (one cup=8 ounces) | Total green or black tea intake, including caffeinated, decaffeinated, sweetened or unsweetened tea. This definition excludes herbal tea. | Includes coffee. |
| Reduced fat milk | g/day | Total reduced-fat dairy milk intake, including non-fat, low-fat milk and skim milk. This definition excludes yoghurt, fermented milk and soy or plant-derived milk (eg, coconut milk, almond milk). | Includes sweetened reduced fat flavoured milk. |
| Whole fat milk | g/day | Total whole-fat dairy milk intake. This definition excludes yoghurt, fermented milk, and soy or other plant-derived milk (eg, coconut milk, almond milk). | Includes sweetened whole fat flavoured milk. |
| Total milk | g/day | Total intake of dairy milk including non-fat, low-fat, skim, and whole-fat milk. This definition excludes yoghurt, fermented milk and soy or other plant derived milk (eg, coconut milk, almond milk). | Includes yoghurt, dairy drinks, cheese and dairy products. |
| Total energy | Kcal/day | Total energy intake. | |
| Total carbohydrates | Per cent energy/day | Total carbohydrate intake. | |
| Total protein | g/day | Total protein intake from all sources. | |
| Animal protein | g/day | Total protein intake from animal sources. | |
| Plant protein | g/day | Total protein intake from plant sources. | |
| Saturated fat | Per cent energy/day | Total saturated fat intake from all sources (primarily meat and dairy products, and tropical oils). | |
| Monounsaturated fat | Per cent energy/day | Total monounsaturated fat intake from all sources. | |
| Total omega-6 fatty acids | Per cent energy/day | Total omega-6 fatty acid intake from all sources (primarily liquid vegetable oils, including soybean oil, corn oil and safflower oil), excluding dietary supplements. | Includes total polyunsaturated fat or linoleic acid. |
| Seafood omega-3 (n-3) fat | mg/day | Total dietary EPA+DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid +docosahexaenoic acid) intake, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes total dietary EPA+DPA+ DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid +docosahexaenoic acid+docosapentaenoic acid), long chain omega-3 only, excluding ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) and total seafood intake (fish and shellfish). |
| Plant omega-3 (n-3) fat | mg/day | Total dietary ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) intake, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)+long chain omega-3 (EPA, DPA, DHA) (eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid) |
| Trans fatty acid | Per cent energy/day | Total trans fatty acid intake from all dietary sources (mainly partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and ruminant products). | Includes calculated TFA (trans fatty acids) based on other kinds of measurements andpartially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Does not include TFA plasma measurements. |
| Dietary cholesterol | mg/day | Total dietary cholesterol from all sources. | |
| Dietary fibre | g/day | Total dietary fibre intake from all sources (fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, pulses), defined as the carbohydrate polymers which are not hydrolyzed by the endogenous enzymes in the small intestine of human beings. Dietary fibre should optimally be quantified using the AOAC method of analysis. | |
| Added sugar | Per cent energy/day | Total intake of sugar added during the preparation or processing of foods and beverages. Examples include the sugar added in sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, candy, breakfast cereals and sweetened milk. This definition excludes non-caloric sweeteners and sugar that naturally occur in foods, such as those in fruits, milk or milk products. | Includes all dietary sugar. |
| Calcium | mg/day | Total intake of calcium from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Dietary sodium | mg/day | Total intake of sodium from all sources. | Includes urinary sodium. |
| Iodine | µg/day | Total intake of iodine from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Iron | mg/day | Total intake of heme and non-heme iron from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Magnesium | mg/day | Total intake of magnesium from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Potassium | mg/day | Total intake of potassium from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | |
| Selenium | µg/day | Total intake of selenium from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin A with supplements | µg RAE/day (RAE=retinol activity equivalent) | Total intake of vitamin A (including retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and retinyl esters) and provitamin A carotenoids from all sources, including dietary supplements. | |
| Vitamin A without supplements | µg RAE/day (RAE=retinol activity equivalent) | Total intake of vitamin A (including retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and retinyl esters) and provitamin A carotenoids from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | May include only retinol or carotenes. |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamine) | mg/day | Total intake of thiamin from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | mg/day | Total intake of vitamin B2 from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | mg/day | Total intake of niacin from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin B6 | mg/day | Total intake of vitamin B6 (including 2-methyl, 3-hydroxy, 5-hydroxymetrhyl pyridine derivatives that exhibit the nutritional activity of pyridoxine) from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin B9 (folate) | µg/day DFE (DFE=dietary folate equivalent) | Total intake of folic acid from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes food fortification and supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin B12 | µg/day | Total dietary intake of cobalamins (including cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, aquocobalamin, sulfitocobalamin, etc) from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin C | mg/day | Total intake of vitamin C from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin D | µg/day | Total intake of vitamin D from dietary sources only, including vitamin D2, vitamin D3, and vitamin D provitamins and previtamins, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
| Vitamin E | mg/day | Total intake of vitamin E tocopherols and tocotrienols from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use and alpha tocopherol. |
| Zinc | mg/day | Total intake of zinc from all sources, excluding dietary supplements. | Includes intake from supplements in a population with relatively low supplement use. |
The foods capture nearly the entire diet, with the exceptions of poultry, dairy-based desserts, candy and sweeteners, and cakes, cookies and other baked goods, which may be collected in future iterations of the GDD.
AOAC, Association of Official Analytical Chemists; DFE, dietary folate equivalent; GDD, Global Dietary Database; RAE, retinol activity equivalent.