Research at the Unit primarily focuses on diet and health. Specific areas of interest include eating habits, the relationship between food and environment, and the fate and activity of dietary substances in the body. 

The research looks at the diets and health of different demographics, including pregnant women, infants, adolescents and the elderly. Specialists at the Research Unit for Nutrition also contribute to Nordic and international reviews and recommendations concerning food and nutrition.
 
All activities at the Research Unit are in close collaboration with other institutions and organisations, both in Iceland and abroad. The Unit for Nutrition Research is therefore involved in numerous domestic and international collaborative projects.