GLOSSARY

Visual Portion Estimation Estimating an eaten amount by appearance, with uncertainty depending on the food, observer and reference aids.

Portion assessment translates what a person reports into a usable quantity. Household measures, photographs, food models and scales offer different types of help; none eliminates uncertainty. Distinguish an individual's actual portion from a standardized serving used for analysis or labeling. Check density, container size, edible fraction and whether a photograph depicts the same food form. In an athlete's plan, practical examples should make adequate intake easier while allowing the assessor to explain how the reported amount was estimated and where uncertainty remains.

A food record captures intake as it occurs or soon afterward and can include timing, amounts, preparation, drinks and supplements. Weighing can improve portion detail but increases burden, and recording itself can change eating. Estimated records depend on useful portion descriptions. Check leftovers, shared dishes, cooking fats and sports products without blaming the participant for uncertainty. Select representative days and explain whether quantities are raw, cooked or edible portions so that later nutrient calculations correspond to what was actually consumed.

Food composition analysis depends on matching the reported food to an appropriate database entry. Variety, brand, fortification, preparation and raw-versus-cooked weight can change the match. Missing data do not necessarily mean that a nutrient is absent. Recipes require ingredient amounts, edible yields and suitable retention assumptions. Record the database and version when comparability matters. A detailed software output remains an estimate; checking the food match and units can be more valuable than reporting many decimal places from uncertain intake data.