The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have identified several shortfall nutrients in the U.S. population, including fiber, folate, and iron (women only). Intake of some shortfall nutrients can be even lower in older adults. The present analyses determined the contribution of grain foods for energy and nutrients in older U.S. adults and ranked to all other food sources in the American diet.
Key Points:
- Grain foods provided 14% of daily energy intake, ranking as the 4th largest contributor of energy among 15 main food groups.
- Grains were a top source of several essential nutrients:
- 1st for thiamin (33%) and niacin (23%).
- 2nd for dietary fiber (23%), iron (38%), folate (40%), and magnesium (15%).
- 3rd for calcium (13%).
- Specific grain subcategories contributed significantly:
- Breads, rolls, and tortillas ranked 1st for thiamin (16%) and niacin (10%) and 2nd for dietary fiber (12%), iron (12%), and folate (13%).
- Ready-to-eat cereals ranked 1st for iron (19%) and folate (21%) and 5th for dietary fiber (7%).
Grain foods also contributed relatively low levels of nutrients to limit, such as saturated fat (5%) and sodium (14%). Overall, grains provided more essential nutrients than calories, supporting their role in addressing nutrient shortfalls and promoting nutrient density in the diets of older adults.
