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Unit Summary
Unit type
UG Coursework Unit
Credit points
12
AQF level
Level of learning
Introductory
Former School/College
Unit aim
Provides an introduction to the food and nutritional sciences. The unit examines the role of key nutrients and the connections between diet and physical activity in health. Further, it explores aspects of food composition, food processing, food as a medicine, and consumer concerns about food. The study of nutrition in pregnancy and lactation is also an option.
Unit content
All students complete Topics 1–11, plus either Topic 12 or 13, depending on their course of study. See study options below the list of Topics.
Topics:
- An overview of nutrition, diet and health, and food as medicine
- Planning a healthy diet
- Dietary carbohydrates: sugars, starches and dietary fibre
- Dietary lipids: fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids and sterols
- Dietary protein
- Energy balance and body composition
- Fitness and diet for physically active people
- Weight management: overweight, obesity and underweight
- Plant foods, animal food/fish/seafood
- Key nutrients of concern in public health nutrition
- Consumer concerns about food: food safety
- Consumer concerns about food: introduction to sustainable food practices
- Life cycle nutrition: pregnancy and lactation
Select either Topic 12 or 13, depending on your course of study.
- Bachelor of Midwifery: Complete Topic 13
- Other degree programs: Complete either Topic 12 or 13
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | explain the relationship between food/nutrients and their biological function in the body | |||||||
| 2 | explain the relationship between physical activity, energy balance, body composition and body weight to health | |||||||
| 3 | describe the predominant nutrients/constituents in each of the major food groups and the methods and impacts of food processing | |||||||
| 4 | discuss and apply the Australian nutrition standards of reference, and healthy eating and physical fitness guidelines to the nutritional and physical activity requirements of healthy adults | |||||||
| 5 | discuss food related consumer concerns and the safety and sustainability of the food supply | |||||||
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
-
explain the relationship between food/nutrients and their biological function in the body
- GA4:
-
explain the relationship between physical activity, energy balance, body composition and body weight to health
- GA4:
-
describe the predominant nutrients/constituents in each of the major food groups and the methods and impacts of food processing
- GA4:
-
discuss and apply the Australian nutrition standards of reference, and healthy eating and physical fitness guidelines to the nutritional and physical activity requirements of healthy adults
- GA1:
- GA4:
- GA6:
-
discuss food related consumer concerns and the safety and sustainability of the food supply
- GA4:
Prescribed texts
- Whitney, E, Rolfes, SR, Crowe, T, Cameron-Smith, D & Walsh, A, 2017, Understanding nutrition, Australia and New Zealand 3rd Edition, Cengage Learning, S. Melbourne, Victoria. ISBN: 9780170366670.
- Whitney, E, Rolfes, SR, Crowe, T, Cameron-Smith, D & Walsh, A, 2017, Understanding nutrition, Australia and New Zealand 3rd Edition, Cengage Learning, S. Melbourne, Victoria. ISBN: 9780170366670.