
Introduction to Nutrition
Course Content from McGraw-HillThis course explores:
- The types of nutrients you need
- How your body uses nutrients
- How nutrition affects your health
- How your nutrient needs change at different stages of your life
This course also explores how psychology, society, and your own values and beliefs affect what and how you eat.
- Self Paced
- Content by McGraw-Hill
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After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the characteristics of essential nutrients and evaluate the use of scientific research to determine nutrient needs.
- Examine the various factors that make a healthy diet and design menus using MyPyramid and Dietary Guidelines.
- Delineate the relationship between nutrition and the functions of each system of the human body.
- Outline the functions of proteins and discuss the effects of deficiency and excess intake.
- Evaluate the nutritional role and deficiency symptoms for each vitamin.
- Assess the importance of water and minerals to the human body.
- Evaluate the nutrient needs of adults and older adults.
- Describe problems associated with obesity and discuss how it can be treated.
- Discuss healthy ways to buy, prepare, cook, and preserve food.
- Outline the causes and effects of a few eating disorders and discuss the possible modes of treatment.
- Outline the health concerns related to carbohydrate intake.
- Assess the health concerns related to lipid intake.
- Suggest dietary recommendations for normal growth and development for infants, preschoolers, school-age children, and teenagers.
- Recommend a food plan to be followed during pregnancy and lactation.
Topic | Lesson Topic | Subtopics | Objectives |
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1 |
Nutrition and You |
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2 |
Designing a Healthy Diet |
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3 |
Human Physiology |
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4 | Carbohydrates |
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5 | Lipids |
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6 | Proteins |
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7 | Fitness and Weight Control |
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8 | Vitamins |
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9 |
Water and Minerals |
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10 | Sports Nutrition |
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11 |
Eating Disorders |
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12 | Food Safety |
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13 | Nutrition in Pregnancy |
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14 | Nutrition from Infancy |
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15 | Nutrition in Adulthood |
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6 | Course Review |
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There are no prerequisites to take Introduction to Nutrition.
The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost. More information on StraighterLine eTextbooks
Prefer the hard copy? Simply purchase from your favorite textbook retailer; you will still get the eTextbook for free.

Contemporary Nutrition is a complete and balanced resource for nutrition information written at a level non-science majors can understand. Current research is at the core of the tenth edition, with revised statistics, incorporation of new results of clinical trials, and updated recommendations. The text provides students who lack a strong science background the ideal balance of reliable nutrition information and practical consumer-oriented knowledge. Always looking to make the content relevant to learners, the authors highlight health conditions, medications, food products, and supplements students or members of their families may be using. With their friendly writing style, the authors act as the student’s personal guide to dispelling common misconceptions and to gaining a solid foundation for making informed nutrition choices.
StraighterLine provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
If you have chosen a
to award credit for this course, your final grade will be based upon that college's grading scale. Only passing scores will be considered by Partner Colleges for an award of credit.There are a total of 1000 points in the course:
Topic | Assessment | Points Available |
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1 | Topic 1 Quiz | 40 |
2 | Topic 2 Quiz | 40 |
3 | Topic 3 Quiz | 40 |
4 | Topic 4 Quiz | 40 |
5 | Topic 5 Quiz | 40 |
6 | Topic 6 Quiz | 40 |
7 | Topic 7 Quiz | 40 |
8 | Topic 8 Quiz | 40 |
8 | Graded Midterm Exam | 100 |
9 | Topic 9 Quiz | 40 |
10 | Topic 10 Quiz | 40 |
11 | Topic 11 Quiz | 40 |
12 | Topic 12 Quiz | 40 |
13 | Topic 13 Quiz | 40 |
14 | Topic 14 Quiz | 40 |
15 | Topic 15 Quiz | 40 |
16 | Graded Final Exam | 300 |
Total | 1000 |