Dietary intake characteristics were studied among 3833 adults of the second Dutch National Food Consumption Survey held in 1992. The subjects were classified into three groups based on their intake of total fat (% energy), saturated fatty acids (% energy), dietary fibre (g/MJ), and fruit and vegetables (g/d). All the classifications resulted in differences in energy intake. Except for dietary fibre, the mean energy intake was higher in the higher-intake tertiles. For the classification based on total fat, saturated fatty acids and dietary fibre the more prudent diets were accompanied with a lower energy-intake. As to the consumption of food groups, differences existed in both the proportion of consumers and in the mean consumption among users. It is concluded that the trends observed are probably more important than the actual figures.