nutritional value
{{Short description|Ratio of essential nutrients}}
Nutritional value or nutritive value as part of food quality is the measure of a well-balanced ratio of the essential nutrients carbohydrates, fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins in items of food or diet concerning the nutrient requirements of their consumer. Several nutritional rating systems and nutrition facts label have been implemented to rank food in terms of its nutritional value.{{Cite web|url=https://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Nutritive_value|title=Nutritive value – Biology-Online Dictionary | Biology-Online Dictionary|website=www.biology-online.org|date=7 October 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/nutrient-requirements.html|title=Nutrient requirements – British Nutrition Foundation|website=www.nutrition.org.uk|access-date=2019-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726084216/https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/nutrient-requirements.html|archive-date=2019-07-26|url-status=dead}} International and national guidelines exist to inform consumers about optimal nutrient intake from their diets.{{cite web | title=GUIDELINES FOR USE OF NUTRITION CLAIMS | website=fao.org | url=http://www.fao.org/3/y2770e/y2770e07.htm | access-date=2019-07-26}}{{cite web | title=Guide for Older Adults on Using the Nutrition Facts Label | website=U.S. Food and Drug Administration | date=2018-07-31 | url=https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/guide-older-adults-using-nutrition-facts-label | access-date=2019-07-26}}{{cite web | title=Nutrition claims – Food Safety | website=Food Safety – European Commission | date=2016-10-17 | url=https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/labelling_nutrition/claims/nutrition_claims_en | access-date=2019-07-26}}
On a biological scale, nutritive value of food may vary for different health conditions (leading to dietary recommendations and particular diet foods), seasonal differences,{{Cite journal|title=Seasonality and dietary requirements: will eating seasonal food contribute to health and environmental sustainability?|first=Jennie I.|last=Macdiarmid|date=August 26, 2014|journal=The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society|volume=73|issue=3|pages=368–375|doi=10.1017/S0029665113003753|pmid=25027288|doi-access=free}} age,{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/252059240|title=What is the relationship between child nutrition and school outcomes?|website=ResearchGate}} sexual differences,{{Cite journal|title=Sex Differences in Nutrition, Growth, and Metabolism in Preterm Infants|first=Pradeep|last=Alur|date=July 26, 2019|journal=Frontiers in Pediatrics|volume=7|pages = 22|doi=10.3389/fped.2019.00022|pmid = 30792973|pmc = 6374621|doi-access=free }} and interspecies or taxonomic differences.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nap.edu/collection/63/nutrient-requirements-of-animals|title=Nutrient Requirements of Animals|website=The National Academies Press}}