Patent ID: 7076438

Claim:
A computer implemented method for providing nutrient data based on dietary intake that reduces information within a dietary intake data set into combination codes used to index into food portion data, comprising: reading, into at least one computer system from a dietary food intake source, dietary intake data for dietary intake over a period in excess of a week, said dietary intake data including the United States Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals; automatically reducing, with said at least one computer system, said United States Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals dietary intake data into a smaller amount of food type code data useful for identifying nutrients in foods actually consumed by dietary intake study participants, said automatically reducing comprising iteratively applying multi-dimensional data reduction coordinates representing food item identification to said dietary intake data to provide combined food type codes, said multidimensional coordinates comprising food form, characteristic, flavor, classification, preparation method, package type and special label codes; automatically grouping said combined food type codes according to dietary factors relating to nutrient makeup; mapping, with said at least one computer system, said reduced dietary intake data combined and grouped food type codes with food nutrient information and food portion size information obtained from a source other than said dietary intake source; and generating, with said at least one computer system, an output data set for analysis.