Which nutrient reference values should you use: DRI, NRV or UK DRV?
In short: Use the set from the country your client lives in: the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) in the US and Canada, the Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) in Australia and New Zealand, and the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) in the UK. All three are built the same way, but they use different names, age bands and, for some nutrients, quite different numbers. For generally healthy clients, use the relevant RDA, RDI or RNI to guide dietary planning, or an Adequate Intake (AI) or UK safe intake where applicable. Individual requirements may differ.
1 min 19 s videoCaptions onUpdated 8 October 2026
Three systems built the same way
The systems use similar principles, although not every reference value is calculated in the same way. Where sufficient evidence exists, an average requirement is estimated and a higher reference intake is set to cover nearly all healthy people in a group.
| US and Canada | Australia and NZ | UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name for the set | Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) | Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) | Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) |
| Set by | National Academies | NHMRC and the NZ Ministry of Health | COMA (1991), updated by SACN |
| Target for an individual | RDA | RDI | RNI |
| Average requirement | EAR | EAR | EAR |
| When evidence is thin | AI | AI | Safe intake |
| Upper limit | UL | UL | Separate upper-level safety guidance |
The RDA, RDI and RNI are designed to cover the requirements of approximately 97–98% of healthy people in a particular group. The EAR represents the estimated requirement of 50% of that group. An Adequate Intake (AI) is used when there isn't enough evidence to establish an EAR and therefore an RDA or RDI. It can guide dietary planning, but an intake below the AI cannot be interpreted in the same way as an intake below the EAR. In the UK, safe intakes are used for certain nutrients where evidence is insufficient to establish an RNI; these are not directly equivalent to AIs.
The UK also defines a Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI), an intake estimated to meet the requirements of only about 2.5% of a healthy population group. Most people need more than this, so a habitual intake below the LRNI is likely to be inadequate for nearly everyone.
In the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes its own set, with a Population Reference Intake in place of the RDA.
Where the numbers differ
For most nutrients the three sets land close together. A few differ enough to change what you tell a client.
| Adult, 19 to 50 | US (RDA) | Australia and NZ | UK (RNI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 1000 mg | 1000 mg (RDI) | 700 mg |
| Iron, women | 18 mg | 18 mg (RDI) | 14.8 mg |
| Vitamin D | 15 µg | 5 µg (AI) | 10 µg |
| Protein | 0.8 g/kg | 0.75 g/kg women, 0.84 g/kg men (RDI) | 0.75 g/kg |
These figures are examples for adults aged 19–50. Reference values can differ by age, sex and life stage, so check the recommendations relevant to the individual client.
Vitamin D shows the spread best. Each committee weighed sun exposure and the evidence on bone health differently, so the same 30-year-old woman gets three different answers. These differences reflect how each authority assessed the evidence and the assumptions used, rather than different physiological requirements based on nationality.
NHMRC has been reviewing the NRVs one nutrient at a time since 2019, so check eatforhealth.gov.au for the current value before you quote an Australian or New Zealand figure.
How to choose for a client
- Match the client's country. Start with the reference values used in the client's country, so your advice aligns with relevant national guidance. Remember that food-label percentages may use different reference values.
- Pick one for clients abroad and say so. If you coach clients in several countries, keep each on their own set where you can. Where you can't, pick one set and note it in their record.
- Outside these regions, check national guidance first. Where no suitable national reference values are available, use an established international reference set and document which one you've chosen.
- Get the life stage right. Age bands, pregnancy and breastfeeding change many values. Iron in the US goes from 18 mg to 27 mg in pregnancy, then down to 9 mg while breastfeeding.
- Remember who they're for. Reference values describe healthy people. Kidney disease, malabsorption or recovery from surgery need clinical targets, not an RDA. See protein needs in kidney disease for one example.
Reading an intake against them
An intake below the RDA, RDI or RNI doesn't automatically indicate deficiency. These values are set to cover nearly all healthy people in a group, so an individual's actual requirement may be lower. However, you can't assume that an intake at a particular percentage of the reference value is adequate. Look at usual intake over time, the relevant EAR or LRNI where available, and the client's clinical circumstances. Where deficiency is suspected, appropriate clinical assessment and, where indicated, biochemical testing can help establish nutritional status.
The percentages on food labels are a different thing again. US labels use Daily Values, and Australian and New Zealand labels show a percentage of daily intake based on an 8700 kJ adult diet. Neither is the client's personal reference value.
How to do it in Foodzilla
Foodzilla compares nutrients with reference values matched by region, then life stage, then sex and age. It uses the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements DRI tables for the US, the UK DRVs and the NHMRC NRVs for Australia and New Zealand, with the RDA, RDI or RNI where one exists and the AI otherwise.
- 1Go to Settings, then Profile, then Preferences. Under Daily Intake Guidelines, choose United States, United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand, then press Update Profile. This applies to all your clients. Until you choose, Foodzilla uses your team's country, and US values for any other country.
- 2Check the client's age and sex: open their dashboard, choose Edit Profile & Body and go to the Body Data tab. For a client who is pregnant or breastfeeding, set Pregnancy / Lactation and press Save Profile. With no age on file, Foodzilla assumes an adult of 30.
- 3Open Health & Diet Goals and go to the Nutrition tab. Each goal card shows the reference value as a "recommended" figure, with a green tick when the goal matches it.
- 4Use the RDI Source picker above the cards to preview Pregnancy, Lactation or Child (4 to 8 years) values. It changes only what you see, not the saved profile. Pregnancy and Lactation appear for female clients.
- 5The same picker sits on a recipe's full nutrition label, beside the % Daily and RDI columns, and on the nutrient breakdown of a client's logged day.
Good to know
- Say which set you usedWhen you write a report or a care plan, name the reference set, such as "UK RNI". A colleague reading 700 mg of calcium will otherwise assume a mistake.
- Don't chase 100% of everythingNutrient intake varies from day to day, so assess usual intake rather than expecting every meal or day to meet every reference value. Don't assume that a particular percentage of the RDA guarantees adequacy, and avoid adding supplements simply to make every nutrient reach 100% on a tracker.