The course is to be delivered in an integrated manner using current and relevant food-related issues to complement the content below. Unit topics/sub-topics may be delivered as purely theoretical studies or as studies contextualised within practical activities.
Learners must complete all five (5) units of study. It is recommended that the first 3 units are studied prior to Units 4 & 5:
- Nutrition
- Diet Analysis
- Food Choice
- Health Promotion
- Food Issues.
UNIT 1: NUTRITION – IDENTIFY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FOOD AND HEALTH (SUGGESTED 35% OF DELIVERY TIME)
Food Nutrients
Learners will develop understanding of the types, functions, sources and consequences of imbalances of nutrients and non-nutrients in food which contribute to health.
- Macronutrients – Types, functions, sources, consequences of imbalances:
- Protein (complete & incomplete)
- Lipids/Fats (saturated, monounsaturated & polyunsaturated) and trans
Essential fatty acids Omega 3 and 6
Relationship between dietary fat and blood cholesterol levels including HDLs, LDLs
- Carbohydrates (mono/disaccharides and polysaccharides including fibre) Glycaemic Index
- Micronutrients
- Vitamins – classification and awareness of generalised roles (e.g. interrelationships)
Focus on Folate, Vitamin D (sources, functions and deficiencies)
- Minerals – overview and sources
Focus on Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium and Iodine (sources, functions and imbalances).
- Non-Nutrients
- phytoestrogens, antioxidants and probiotics.
- Nutrition Terms
- Nutrient Density/Energy Density
- Nutrient Reference Values – RDI, EAR, AI, EER, UL.
- Food handling to retain maximum nutritive value.
Energy
- Identify sources of energy and examine factors which influence energy balance
- Overview of requirements and recommended proportions as % of total energy from macronutrients
- Energy balance
- Balanced eating plans versus diets
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and factors affecting
- Maintaining healthy weight range
- Assessment of healthy weight using Body Mass Index, Measure Up.
Diet-related conditions and dietary implications
- Emphasis on heart disease, diabetes Type 2, overweight and obesity
- Definitions
- Recent Australian Statistics
- Dietary factors that increase risk
- Prevention Strategies.
UNIT 2: DIET ANALYSIS (SUGGESTED 15% OF DELIVERY TIME)
Learners will interpret dietary analysis data and identify nutrient requirements at different stages of the lifecycle and for different levels of health and activity.
- Interpret Dietary Analysis Data
- Identify nutrient requirements at different stages of the lifecycle and for different levels of health and activit
- Compare the nutritional requirements of individuals with different needs
- Analyse diets, menus and recipes and make appropriate modifications to improve them using Nutrient Reference Values & Food Selection Tools as listed below (#2).
- Apply Nutrient Reference Values & Food Selection Tools to diet and recipe modification
- Recommended Dietary Intakes
- Food Selection Tools
- Australian Dietary Guidelines
- Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
- Modify Recipes and develop menus for individual requirements.
UNIT 3: FOOD CHOICE (SUGGESTED 15% OF DELIVERY TIME)
Learners will develop an understanding of how various factors influence the selection of food for individuals and groups.
- Physiological Factors – NB: Nutritional Requirements are covered in the Nutrition and Diet Analysis Unit
- Appetite Hunger and Satiety
- Sensory Reactions to food – Appearance – colour, shape, turgor
- Food Sensitivities – Allergies and intolerances.
- Psychological Influences
- Values
- Beliefs
- Attitudes and Experiences
- Habits
- Emotions
- Self Concept.
- Social Influences
- Culture and Tradition
- Lifestyle
- Social Interactions.
- Economic Influences
- Cost
- Marketplace
- Resources
- Occupations and finances.
UNIT 4: HEALTH PROMOTION (SUGGESTED 10% OF DELIVERY TIME)
Learners will develop understand about how Nutrition promotion strategies influence the health of individuals and groups.
- Nutrition Promotion – Who is responsible for the promotion of good health?
- Government Role
- Food Industry
- Communities
- Schools
- Media and Marketing Trends
- Not-for-profit Health Promotion organisations – AIHWB, NHMRC, Eatwell Australia, Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, Nutrition Foundation
- Evaluate at least one promotion strategy in detail (e.g. Advertising Campaigns such as “measure Up”, Canteen Nutrition Policies, school policies)
- Designing nutrition promotion campaigns.
- Food legislation: who makes it?
- Federal food laws
- Food Labels and labelling laws.
UNIT 5: FOOD ISSUES (SUGGESTED 25% OF DELIVERY TIME)
This Unit introduces learners to a range of food-focussed issues. Many of these issues link to the NUTRITION, DIET ANALYSIS, FOOD CHOICE and HEALTH PROMOTION units and may be integrated with the delivery and assessment of these Units’ content.
UNIT 5.A – COMPULSORY TOPICS (Suggested 20 hours delivery)
1. Food Security
- Definition
- Statistics – global, national (e.g. population, food supply)
- Barriers and risk factors for food security
- Components of food security
- Groups of people most ‘at risk’ of food insecurity in developing countries and Australia
- Strategies to help reduce the incidence of food insecurity in developing countries and Australia:
- Technology
- Education
- Government policy
- Aid
- Sustainable food systems.
Learners will analyse interventions, programs or initiatives that are designed to address food insecurity. Examples will be drawn from both a developing country and Australia. Each example will involve more than one of the strategies listed above.
2. Ecological Sustainability
- Definition
- The food system (primary, secondary, tertiary, consumer practices)
- Relevant statistics in relation to the food system
- Barriers to sustainable food systems
- Strategies:
- Technology
- Education
- Government policy
- Sustainable food systems.
Learners will analyse interventions, programs or initiatives that are designed to address the ecological sustainability of food systems. At least three examples will be analysed. Each example will involve more than one of the strategies listed above.
UNIT 5.B – ELECTIVE TOPIC (Suggested 10 hours delivery)
Select one of the following:
- Food Innovation
- Food Processing and Packaging
- Development of the “Australian Diet”.
1. Food Innovation – new food products and functional foods
- Reasons for development of new products
- Consumer demands – convenience, special dietary needs, income, lifestyle
- Definitions of functional foods – nutritionally modified
- Analysis or development of new and/or functional food product.
2. Food Processing and Packaging
- Why process food?
- Food Preservation
- cause of food spoilage
- growth of microorganism
- Principles of preservation
- Preservation processes
- Packaging
- purposes
- materials
- innovations
- Analysis or development of processed/preserved food and/or packaging.
3. Development of the “Australian Diet”
- foods native to Australia
- traditional aboriginal foods
- Australian indigenous foods today
- global migration of cultural groups
- colonial food production
- migrant groups – choose 2 from:
- United Kingdom, Italy, China, Greece, Asia, Lebanon, India
- Analysis or development of a native and/or food that reflects a cultural influence.