The objective of this study was to analyze the qualitative characteristics of diets of different social and economic household categories (agricultural, mixed and non-agricultural and total) in Serbia in the period 1968-1990. The first part of the paper examines the energetic value of diets. Based on the average daily energetic value it can be concluded that the dietetic habits meet the needs of the population in Serbia. However based on the qualitative analysis of the diet structure it can be concluded that the quality of diets of the population in Serbia was unfavourable. The second part of the paper analyzes the biochemical components of diets, i.e. the human consumption of some basic nutritious elements (protein, fat and carbohydrate in...