Nutrient intakes of 1,066 young women 18 to 24 years of age were estimated using a shortened nutrient data base (the University of California, Berkeley Minilist) containing 235 food items. The dietary data consisted of 24-hour recalls collected during the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II). A cross-reference index, recipe file, and concentration factors were developed to substitute foods on the data base for the 1,267 foods reported by the young women. Estimates of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and iron intakes using the NHANES II nutrient data base and the UCB Minilist were within 3% of one another, and had correlation coefficients above 0.97. Mean +/- S.E. daily intakes of copper, zinc, dietary fiber, and phytate, which are not included in the NHANES II data base, were estimated to be 1.16 +/- 0.02 mg, 8.11 +/- 0.14 mg, 13.2 +/- 0.3 gm, 395 +/- 14 mg, respectively. The values agree closely with other published values for young women's intakes. A shortened nutrient data base can be a valid tool for estimating intakes of populations.