The habitual intake of energy and nutrients (assessed through dietary history) among elderly women (aged 65 and over) living in a nursing home (n = 54), elderly women living in service flats and receiving their dinners from the nursing home kitchen (n = 29), and elderly women living independently (n = 52) was evaluated within the framework of the Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System. Intake of energy and nutrients was lowest among women in the nursing home and highest among those living independently. Almost all differences in absolute intake found were significant, both unadjusted and adjusted for age. In the nursing home the intake of energy and nutrients was lower at higher age. In qualitative terms the differences among the groups of women were less striking. Mean daily intakes of iron, vitamin A, thiamin, vitamin B6 and vitamin C were below the Dutch recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) among the nursing home women. Several interrelationships among nutrient intakes were found, low intake levels clustering somewhat among elderly subjects. Our data indicate that these nutritional risks are due to a lower food intake resulting in a lower intake of energy and nutrients, and owing to differences in food choice resulting in a lower nutrient density. We conclude that it is difficult to design a diet containing all essential nutrients at the RDA level in a nursing home with residents who have a relatively low intake of energy, especially among those at higher age.