Healthy and Sustainable Foods from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Healthy and Sustainable Foods

Welcome! This module will introduce you to our course. The introductory lesson will provide an overview of the topics we will explore and outline the expectations and procedures. You will be introduced to utilizing spreadsheets as a tool for evaluating different types of foods. The module will conclude by introducing methods that can be used to measure the environmental impact of various food choices.

Nutritional Evaluations and Diet Choices

This module focuses on evaluating the nutritional impact of food on individuals' health and how a combination of multiple evaluations can help us make changes to our diet that will result in positive impacts. You will be introduced to Dietary Risk Factors (DRF) and the Health Nutritional Index (HENI) as usable measurements. We will then move on to discuss the various trade-offs that one should consider when prioritizing a given measurement to inform their food choices. We conclude this module by thinking through how to make targeted changes to our diet to result in better nutritional and environmental outcomes.

Analyzing Complex Dishes and Comparing Diets

This final module examines the dietary impacts of multiple foods to then analyze trade-offs and targeted changes that can bring substantial health and environmental benefits with less than 10% caloric change. Then, you will utilize the calculations skills you've practiced to complete the End-of-Course Assessment. This assessment will be similar to the previous end-of-week quizzes, but it will instead cover concepts from the entire course rather than just one week. Lastly, we ask you to reflect on how your meal choices have changed since you began the course. If you elect to do so, you will revisit our initial meal sharing Gallery exercise to share your most recent meal as you complete our course!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Suitable for individuals interested in improving their nutrition and the sustainability of their food choices, including practitioners in the nutrition, healthcare, and public health fields

Provides a framework for understanding the health and environmental impacts of food consumption, with a focus on nutritional evaluation and dietary analysis

Led by Olivier Jolliet, a renowned Professor in Environmental Life Cycle Assessment at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Healthy and Sustainable Foods with these activities:

Review spreadsheets for data analysis

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Refreshing basic spreadsheet skills can help learners in their quantitative analysis of food choices.

Browse courses on Spreadsheets

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Review Dietary Risk Factors (DRF) and Health Nutritional Index (HENI)

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Reviewing these concepts in a preparatory manner can help reinforce this knowledge and make it more accessible when taking the course.

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Follow tutorials on calculating the Health Nutritional Index (HENI)

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Following tutorials can help break down the process of calculating the HENI into smaller, more manageable steps.

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Find tutorials on calculating the HENI
Follow the steps in the tutorials
Practice calculating the HENI on your own

Four other activities

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Calculate the environmental impact of different foods and diets

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Practicing these calculations will help make students more comfortable with the concepts and also show how they can be used to evaluate the impact of food choices.

Browse courses on Environmental Impacts

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Gather data on the environmental impact of different foods
Develop a method for calculating the environmental impact of diets
Practice calculating the environmental impact of different foods and diets

Attend a workshop on sustainable diets

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Participating in a workshop can expose students to the latest research on sustainable diets and provide opportunities to network with experts in the field.

Browse courses on Sustainable Diets

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Find a workshop on sustainable diets
Attend the workshop
Take notes and ask questions

Create a meal plan that meets specific health and environmental goals

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Creating a plan that satisfies specific criteria can help students apply the knowledge learned in the course and see how it can be implemented in their own lives

Browse courses on Environmental Impacts

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Determine specific health and environmental goals
Research different foods and their nutritional and environmental impacts
Create a meal plan that meets the desired goals
Evaluate the plan and make adjustments as needed

Create an infographic on the health and environmental impacts of different foods

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Creating an infographic can help learners synthesize and visually represent the course material, reinforcing their understanding of the key concepts.

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Gather data on the health and environmental impacts of different foods
Design an infographic that visually represents the data
Share the infographic with others

Career center

Learners who complete Healthy and Sustainable Foods will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Environmental Scientist

Environmental Scientists conduct experiments to understand the environment and human health. They can also work in many government regulatory agencies. This course can help current and aspiring Environmental Specialists understand the health and environmental impacts of their work, allowing them to make more informed choices about the work they do.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Scientist

Food Scientist

Food Scientists apply food science principles to research and develop new food products and processes. They work in a variety of settings, including food processing, manufacturing, and quality control. This course can help current and aspiring Food Scientists understand the health and environmental impacts of their work, allowing them to make more informed choices about the products and processes they develop.

See salaries and explore the career path for Food Scientist

Registered Dietitian

Registered Dietitians provide nutrition counseling and guidance to individuals and groups. They help clients improve their health by making healthy food choices. This course can help current and aspiring Registered Dietitians build a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to provide more comprehensive and effective counseling to their clients.

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Health Educator

Health Educators work to promote healthy behaviors and lifestyles in communities. They develop and implement programs to educate people about health risks and how to reduce those risks. This course can help current and aspiring Health Educators build a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to develop and implement more effective programs.

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Environmental Engineer

Environmental Engineers design and implement solutions to environmental problems. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, consulting firms, and private industry. This course can help current and aspiring Environmental Engineers understand the health and environmental impacts of food, allowing them to develop and implement more effective solutions.

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Sustainability Manager

Sustainability Managers develop and implement sustainability programs for businesses and organizations. They work to reduce the environmental impact of their operations and supply chains. This course can help current and aspiring Sustainability Managers understand the health and environmental impacts of food, allowing them to make more informed choices about the initiatives they implement.

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Climate Scientist

Climate Scientists study the Earth's climate system and how it is changing. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, research institutions, and private industry. This course can help current and aspiring Climate Scientists understand the health and environmental impacts of food, allowing them to develop and implement more effective strategies to address climate change.

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Environmental Policy Analyst

Environmental Policy Analysts research and analyze environmental issues and develop policies to address them. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, think tanks, and non-profit organizations. This course can help current and aspiring Environmental Policy Analysts understand the health and environmental impacts of food, allowing them to develop more effective policies.

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Food Systems Analyst

Food Systems Analysts research and analyze food systems to identify and address problems. They work in a variety of settings, including universities, research institutes, and non-profit organizations. This course can help current and aspiring Food Systems Analysts build a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to conduct more comprehensive and effective research and analysis.

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Nutrition Researcher

Nutrition Researchers conduct research on the relationship between nutrition and health. They work in a variety of settings, including universities, research institutes, and government agencies. This course can help current and aspiring Nutrition Researchers develop a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to conduct more comprehensive and effective research.

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Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists study the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, research institutions, and non-profit organizations. This course can help current and aspiring Epidemiologists understand the health and environmental impacts of food, allowing them to conduct more comprehensive and effective research.

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Food Writer

Food Writers write about food and nutrition for a variety of publications, including newspapers, magazines, and websites. This course may be useful for current and aspiring Food Writers by providing a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to write more informed and engaging articles.

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Health Policy Analyst

Health Policy Analysts research and analyze health policy issues and develop policy recommendations. They work in a variety of settings, including government agencies, think tanks, and non-profit organizations. This course may be useful for current and aspiring Health Policy Analysts by providing a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to develop more effective policy recommendations.

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Public Health Nutritionist

Public Health Nutritionists work to promote healthy eating and nutrition in communities. They develop and implement programs to improve the health of populations. This course may be useful for current and aspiring Public Health Nutritionists by providing a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to develop and implement more effective programs.

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Chef

Chefs prepare and cook food in restaurants, hotels, and other food service establishments. This course may be useful for current and aspiring Chefs by providing a strong foundation in the relationship between health and the environment, allowing them to make more informed choices about the ingredients they use and the dishes they prepare.

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