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University of Adelaide

A Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating

University of Adelaide via FutureLearn

Overview

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Examine the fundamentals of healthy eating and nutrition

In order to be energised and ready to take on life, it’s important to know the foods that can provide you with all the nutrients you need to feel your best.

On this four-week course, you’ll be guided by an expert in dietary nutrition, learning the basics of food, nutrition, and its impact on your health and wellbeing.

Learn what to eat to ensure optimum nutrition

On this course, you’ll gain a complete overview of basic nutritional concepts.

You’ll delve into the six classes of nutrients, learning to categorise foods and explain their effects on our bodies.

You’ll learn to identify high and low-energy foods and explain the connection between food energy and diet.

Discover the science behind food composition

Using engaging and accessible videos, case studies, and articles, you’ll explore the functions of energy and non-energy yielding nutrients before delving into dietary fibre, phytochemicals, and additives in food.

With your knowledge of food composition, you’ll be better equipped to make healthy, nutritional choices and understand the impact they have on your energy levels and overall health.

Examine food group systems and dietary guidelines

With case studies from around the world, you’ll examine nutrient recommendations in global contexts and use this to inform your own healthy eating recommendations.

You’ll compare various food groups and food group systems and learn how to ensure adequate nutrients are sourced within different diets including flexitarian, vegan, and vegetarian.

By the end of this course, you’ll understand how the composition of different foods contributes to our overall health. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to make informed, healthy choices, backed up by a scientific understanding of the nutrients different foods provide.

This course is designed for anyone with an interest in healthy eating and nutrition.

It would benefit those considering a future career in food science as well as secondary educators teaching science and health related subjects.

Syllabus

  • Food composition and nutrients
    • Getting started
    • Introduction to Week 1
    • Food composition
    • Energy yielding and non-energy yielding nutrients
    • Bringing it all together
  • Food composition and non-nutrients
    • Introduction to Week 2
    • Dietary fibre
    • Phytochemicals
    • Additives in food
    • Bringing it all together
  • Nutrient recommendations
    • Introduction to Week 3
    • An overview of nutrient recommendations
    • Exploring nutrient recommendations from other countries
    • Translating nutrient recommendations to food group serves & dietary patterns
    • Bringing it all together
  • Food group systems and healthy eating guidelines
    • Introduction to Week 4
    • Food group systems
    • Food groups
    • Healthy eating and dietary guidelines
    • Bringing it all together
    • What's next?

Taught by

Richard McInnes

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4.5 rating at FutureLearn based on 4 ratings

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