The National Nutrition Survey covers topics of dietary intake, health status, and exercise and lifestyle habits. In 2000, it collected responses from 12,271 individuals in 4,482 randomly-selected households. The survey had three components: a dietary questionnaire, a household nutrition survey, and an individual physical condition survey. The latter survey included anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, pedometer tests, urine tests, and blood tests (for participants over 20 years old). The dietary questionnaire records food weights and household meal distribution over the course of one day. The National Nutrition Survey began in 1946 and it is usually performed during the month of November. Since 2002, it has been known as the National Health and Nutrition Survey.

The report tabulations on nutrient and food intake are broken down by sex and 10-year age groups. For participants under 20, food intake is broken down by 5-year age groups.