The Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand differ from the previous 1990 Australian Recommended Dietary Intakes as they include more nutrients (36 plus energy), a range of levels for different purposes, and provide advice on reducing risk of chronic disease.

However, NRVs do still include a level known as the recommended dietary intake (RDI), which is the average daily intake level of a particular nutrient that is sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.