This comprehensive nutrition course provides information that will benefit learners with little or no previous knowledge of Nutrition, Diet and Health. Learners will gain a good understanding of the importance of providing meals that fulfil the nutritional requirements of the human body in order for it to maintain health and wellbeing.

Learners will explore the basic components of nutrition and will understand the role energy, protein, vitamins and minerals play in the provision of a healthy well-balanced diet. The course explains what each nutritional component is and provides examples of the different types of foods they can be sourced from. Information, guidance and examples are provided for the provision of alternative sources of nutrients for people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The course is broken down in to 6 bite-sized units with the following titles:

• An Introduction to Nutrition
• The Basics of Nutrition
• Nutritional Requirements Throughout Life
• Managing and Avoiding Obesity and Disease
• Nutrition and Special Diets
• Preserving, Processing and Labelling Food

On completion of this course learners will be able to:

• List the nutritional benefits of a variety of food groups
• Explain the role of Macro-nutrients and Micro-nutrients and the benefits they provide
• Describe the nutritional requirements of the human body at different stages in the lifecycle including preconception, pregnancy, childhood and adulthood
• Explain what is meant by the ‘energy balance’
• Use the Body Mass Index (BMI) chart to identify weight problems and obesity
• Cater for people with dietary requirements such as vegan and vegetarians, ethnic minority groups and food allergies and intolerances