Course : Nutrition Basics and Meal Preparation

Although we consume large amounts of energy everyday in order to sustain our bodies, most people are unaware of what nutrients and vitamins they ingest and what is their actual purpose. In this unit we look into the different categories of nutrients and vitamins as well as the different food groups that they come from, we explore the history of the USDA food pyramid, we address calories as a measurement of energy and discuss the impact of fast food on the human body.

In this unit we differentiate between healthy and unhealthy eating habits, we see how unhealthy eating habits can take a toll on the human body by discussing the FHS primary risk functions, we gain insight on the connection between a healthy diet and mental health, we address eating disorders and reflect on our personal eating habits.

As we know our personal preferences and our free choice shape our eating habits and this is why we attempts to constantly improve upon them. However in order to do so we need to have knowledge of the external factors that have a direct impact on our diet. In this unit we take a close look at the effects of the free market on personal health, we learn to adjust our goals and realise personal responsibility, to monitor our progress and use the STAR goal system.

In this unit we begin our discussion on meal preparation by identifying nutrient rich foods and their values, learning to read labels on food packaging and understanding the importance of hydration. Additionally, we take a look on different ways to balance macronutrients and micronutrients in our daily diet.

It is now time to delve deeper in meal preparation by looking at the practical side of things. In this unit we expand on our previous knowledge as we look at cooking safety, different cooking techniques, the advantages of each and listen to experts explaining how cooking leads to healthy living.