Value is a foundational concept in reinforcement learning and economic choice theory. In these frameworks, individuals choose by assigning values to objects and learn by updating values with experience. These theories have been instrumental for revealing influences of probability, risk, and delay on choices. However, they do not explain how values are shaped by intrinsic properties of the choice objects themselves. Here, we investigated how economic value derives from the biologically critical components of foods: their nutrients and sensory qualities. When monkeys chose nutrient-defined liquids, they consistently preferred fat and sugar to low-nutrient alternatives. Rather than maximizing energy indiscriminately, they seemed to assign subjective values to specific nutrients, flexibly trading them against offered reward amounts. Nutrient–value functions accurately modeled these preferences, predicted choices across contexts, and accounted for individual differences. The monkeys’ preferences shifted their daily nutrient balance away from dietary reference points, contrary to ecological foraging models but resembling human suboptimal eating in free-choice situations. To identify the sensory basis of nutrient values, we developed engineering tools that measured food textures on biological surfaces, mimicking oral conditions. Subjective valuations of two key texture parameters—viscosity and sliding friction—explained the monkeys’ fat preferences, suggesting a texture-sensing mechanism for nutrient values. Extended reinforcement learning and choice models identified candidate neuronal mechanisms for nutrient-sensitive decision-making. These findings indicate that nutrients and food textures constitute critical reward components that shape economic values. Our nutrient-choice paradigm represents a promising tool for studying food–reward mechanisms in primates to better understand human-like eating behavior and obesity.

价值是强化学习和经济选择理论中的一个基本概念。在这些框架中，个人通过为对象分配价值来选择，并通过使用经验更新价值来学习。这些理论有助于揭示概率、风险和延迟对选择的影响。然而，他们没有解释价值是如何被选择对象本身的内在属性所塑造的。在这里，我们研究了经济价值如何来自食物的生物学关键成分：它们的营养成分和感官品质。当猴子选择营养明确的液体时，他们始终更喜欢脂肪和糖，而不是低营养的替代品。他们似乎不是不加选择地最大化能量，而是将主观价值分配给特定的营养素，灵活地将它们与提供的奖励金额进行交易。营养价值函数准确地模拟了这些偏好，预测了跨环境的选择，并解释了个体差异。猴子的偏好将它们的日常营养平衡从饮食参考点转移，这与生态觅食模型相反，但类似于人类在自由选择情况下的次优饮食。为了确定营养价值的感官基础，我们开发了工程工具来测量生物表面的食物质地，模拟口腔条件。对两个关键质地参数（粘度和滑动摩擦）的主观评价解释了猴子的脂肪偏好，表明营养价值的质地感应机制。扩展的强化学习和选择模型确定了营养敏感决策的候选神经元机制。这些发现表明，营养素和食物质地构成了塑造经济价值的关键奖励成分。我们的营养选择范式代表了一种很有前途的工具，可以研究灵长类动物的食物奖励机制，以更好地了解类人的饮食行为和肥胖。