The purpose of this study was to examine the nutrient intake of elderly Hispanic and Caucasians in the urban Southwest. The result showed that the Hispanics had intakes of calories, thiamin and ascorbic acid that were significantly lower than that of the Caucasians. In additions, there were differences for either sex between the two groups. The Caucasian females consumed a greater amount of iron than the Hispanic females. The Caucasian males consumed a greater amount of calcium, vitamin A and riboflavin than the Hispanic males. Thiamin, calcium, and calorie intakes were significantly below the RDA for both groups. Contrary to some other studies, the subjects of this study were not deficient in their intakes of vitamin A and ascorbic acid. This may have been due to seasonal availability of foods high in these two nutrients. The observed differences between the two ethnic groups may be due to cultural food patterns. This aspect requires further investigation.