Dietary assessment tools systematically underestimate nutritional intake in minority populations due to cultural blind spots in food databases and measurement protocols. Standard instruments often miss traditional preparation methods, culturally specific ingredients, and community eating patterns that significantly alter nutritional profiles. This measurement gap has profound implications for nutrition science, as dietary recommendations and health interventions derived from flawed data may not translate effectively across diverse populations. The review highlights how socioeconomic factors compound these issues, with food insecurity and access barriers creating additional layers of assessment complexity. For health-conscious adults from diverse backgrounds, this research underscores why generic dietary advice may not align with their cultural food practices or nutritional needs. The findings suggest that personalized nutrition approaches must account for cultural food systems, not just individual preferences. While the field is developing more inclusive assessment methods, current nutritional epidemiology likely underrepresents the true dietary quality and health impacts in non-Western populations. This represents both a scientific limitation and an equity issue, as evidence-based recommendations may inadvertently exclude or misrepresent the nutritional experiences of diverse communities.