Grocery stores today are filled with numerous processed and refined packaged foods. But what is hiding in the midst of all those numbers and ingredients? Step by step, holistic nutrition expert Evita Ochel will teach you how to be a savvy and empowered consumer who knows how to use their food to support their health, not destroy it. You will be given guidelines and practical tips to know how to decipher front package claims, nutrition facts labels, and ingredient lists to make the best food choices for your health and weight.
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Grocery stores today are filled with numerous processed and refined packaged foods. But what is hiding in the midst of all those numbers and ingredients? Step by step, holistic nutrition expert Evita Ochel will teach you how to be a savvy and empowered consumer who knows how to use their food to support their health, not destroy it. You will be given guidelines and practical tips to know how to decipher front package claims, nutrition facts labels, and ingredient lists to make the best food choices for your health and weight.
Grocery stores today are filled with numerous processed and refined packaged foods. But what is hiding in the midst of all those numbers and ingredients? Step by step, holistic nutrition expert Evita Ochel will teach you how to be a savvy and empowered consumer who knows how to use their food to support their health, not destroy it. You will be given guidelines and practical tips to know how to decipher front package claims, nutrition facts labels, and ingredient lists to make the best food choices for your health and weight.
You will never look at processed, packaged food the same way again.
If you have any processed food in your diet, this course will help you make sense of what you are eating and know how to make healthier choices. As consumers, we have choices and we can best exercise them when we know what to look for and what to avoid. No matter where you are in your health and wellness journey, you will be guided to understand the landscape of modern nutrition and navigate it in smart ways.
Make your food work for you, rather than against you.
Whether you would like to lose weight, or improve your health, or feed your family better you will be empowered to know how to improve your food choices. By learning how to read nutrition facts labels and ingredients, you will easily distinguish between high quality and poor quality foods.
This course will provide you with nearly 3 hours of practical video content. Each lesson also includes resource materials like printable summary sheets, practical exercises, and supplementary reading and video resources to help you practice and apply what you learn.
Get to know your food today to ensure the best health and wellbeing for your future.
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What's inside
Learning objectives
- Interpret front package health and nutrition claims.
- Spot food industry tactics that create false health value of processed foods.
- Understand nutrition facts labels from a holistic perspective.
- Interpret the quantities of key nutrients and establish their relevance in the diet.
- Easily spot low versus high sodium and sugar foods.
- Choose processed foods with the healthiest ingredients.
- Choose processed foods with the most health and nutrition benefits.
- Know how to eat and what foods to eat for best health and weight results.
- Interpret front package health and nutrition claims.
- Spot food industry tactics that create false health value of processed foods.
- Understand nutrition facts labels from a holistic perspective.
- Interpret the quantities of key nutrients and establish their relevance in the diet.
- Easily spot low versus high sodium and sugar foods.
- Choose processed foods with the healthiest ingredients.
- Choose processed foods with the most health and nutrition benefits.
- Know how to eat and what foods to eat for best health and weight results.
Syllabus
Learn how to decipher front package claims and gain awareness about modern food labelling pitfalls.
In this lesson you will:
- Receive an introduction to what modern, processed and packaged food is all about.
- Gain perspective about "what can be considered a healthy packaged/processed food".
- Understand why so much confusion exists in the field of nutrition, by understanding the difference between reductionist and holistic approaches to health and nutrition.
- Learn the difference between nutritionists and dietitians.
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Syllabus
In this lesson you will:
- Receive an introduction to what modern, processed and packaged food is all about.
- Gain perspective about "what can be considered a healthy packaged/processed food".
- Understand why so much confusion exists in the field of nutrition, by understanding the difference between reductionist and holistic approaches to health and nutrition.
- Learn the difference between nutritionists and dietitians.
In this lesson you will:
- Learn what your food product is trying to tell you and trying not to tell you.
- Understand how different words and claims are used in food labelling practices.
- Know the purpose of front package claims and how to use them in a smart way.
This quiz will help you practice and apply what you learned in lessons 1 and 2.
In this lesson you will:
- Understand how numbers on nutrition facts labels are determined and possible errors.
- Understand the servings per package and how to use them.
- Understand the calories per serving and how to use them.
In this lesson you will:
- Understand how fat functions in our diet and health.
- Understand the difference between the 4 types of low-fat and high-fat diets.
- Understand fat on the nutrition facts label and how to calculate it.
- Understand saturated fat and its quantity on the label and in your diet.
- Understand trans fat and its quantity on the label and in your diet.
In this lesson you will:
- Understand the role and quantity of cholesterol on the nutrition facts label and in your diet.
- Understand the role and quantity of sodium on the nutrition facts label and in your diet.
- Know how to quickly and easily determine whether your packaged food is a high sodium, reasonable sodium or low sodium food.
In this lesson you will:
- Learn about the basics of carbohydrates and what makes them healthy or unhealthy.
- Understand carbohydrates on the nutrition facts label and in your diet.
- Understand fiber on the nutrition facts label and in your diet.
- Understand sugar on the nutrition facts label and in your diet.
In this lesson you will:
- Learn about the basics of protein and our unnatural fixation on it.
- Understand protein on the nutrition facts label and in our diet.
- Learn about optimal protein amounts.
- Differentiate between healthy and unhealthy sources of protein.
In this lesson you will:
- Understand the vitamin and mineral section on the nutrition facts label.
- Learn why there are usually so few specific vitamins and minerals listed on labels.
- Learn what the %DV amount means, as it applies to vitamin and mineral quantities.
- Know about differences in quality of vitamins and minerals in your food.
- Get introduced to the powerful phytonutrients, which are missing on nutrition facts labels.
This quiz will help you practice and apply what you learned in lessons 3 through 8.
In this lesson you will:
- Learn about the value and importance of ingredient lists.
- Learn what ingredients to seek out in your foods.
- Learn what ingredients to avoid in your foods.
In this lesson you will learn about 3 special groups of ingredients that impact modern food:
- Allergenic ingredients
- Genetically modified ingredients
- Organic ingredients
You will be empowered to know how to work with these ingredients in the healthiest of ways.
In this lesson you will have a chance to practice everything you have learned by being guided through 3 food product examples to consider their front package claims, nutrition facts and ingredients to make the best health choices.
In this lesson you will:
- Learn how to approach eating for optimal health and weight.
- Learn what to eat for optimal health and weight.
- Learn about further resources to support your journey of learning about your food.
This quiz will help you practice and apply what you learned in lessons 9 through 12.
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Activities
Peer Tutoring: Nutrition for Beginners
Show steps
Volunteer to tutor other students who are struggling with the basics of nutrition.
Browse courses on
Nutrition
Show steps
-
Contact your instructor or classmates to offer your tutoring services.
-
Meet with the student and assess their needs.
-
Develop a tutoring plan and materials.
-
Provide regular tutoring sessions.
The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom
Show steps
Read this book to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of healthy eating and how to make lasting changes to your diet.
View
The Whole30
on Amazon
Show steps
-
Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
-
Apply the principles of the Whole30 to your own diet.
-
Reflect on your experience and identify what you learned.
Study Group: Nutrition Label Analysis
Show steps
Meet with a group of peers to analyze and discuss different nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists.
Browse courses on
Food Labeling
Show steps
-
Gather a group of peers who are also taking the course.
-
Choose a nutrition facts label or ingredient list to analyze together.
-
Discuss your findings and insights.
-
Share resources and tips related to healthy eating.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt
Show steps
Visit a local grocery store and use your knowledge of nutrition facts labels to identify healthy and unhealthy options.
Browse courses on
Food Labeling
Show steps
-
Choose a category of food (e.g., cereal, yogurt, frozen meals).
-
Compare the nutrition facts labels of several products in the category.
-
Identify the healthiest and unhealthiest options based on your knowledge of nutrition.
-
Create a presentation or infographic to share your findings.
Cooking Class: Healthy Meal Preparation
Show steps
Attend a cooking class to learn practical skills for preparing healthy, whole-food meals.
Browse courses on
Healthy Eating
Show steps
-
Register for a cooking class.
-
Attend the class and participate actively.
-
Practice the recipes you learned at home.
Reading Comprehension Checks
Show steps
Complete short quizzes after each lesson to reinforce knowledge of nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists.
Browse courses on
Reading Comprehension
Show steps
-
Read the lesson and take notes on key concepts.
-
Complete the comprehension check quiz.
-
Review your answers and identify areas for improvement.
Personalized Meal Plan
Show steps
Create a personalized meal plan that meets your individual dietary needs and goals based on the principles learned in the course.
Browse courses on
Meal Planning
Show steps
-
Determine your daily calorie needs.
-
Calculate your macronutrient ratios (carbohydrates, protein, fat).
-
Choose nutrient-rich foods that fit into your calorie and macronutrient goals.
-
Create a meal plan that includes a variety of foods from all food groups.
-
Track your progress and make adjustments as needed.
Peer Tutoring: Nutrition for Beginners
Show steps
Volunteer to tutor other students who are struggling with the basics of nutrition.
Browse courses on
Nutrition
Show steps
- Contact your instructor or classmates to offer your tutoring services.
- Meet with the student and assess their needs.
- Develop a tutoring plan and materials.
- Provide regular tutoring sessions.
The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom
Show steps
Read this book to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of healthy eating and how to make lasting changes to your diet.
View
The Whole30
on Amazon
Show steps
- Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
- Apply the principles of the Whole30 to your own diet.
- Reflect on your experience and identify what you learned.
Study Group: Nutrition Label Analysis
Show steps
Meet with a group of peers to analyze and discuss different nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists.
Browse courses on
Food Labeling
Show steps
- Gather a group of peers who are also taking the course.
- Choose a nutrition facts label or ingredient list to analyze together.
- Discuss your findings and insights.
- Share resources and tips related to healthy eating.
Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt
Show steps
Visit a local grocery store and use your knowledge of nutrition facts labels to identify healthy and unhealthy options.
Browse courses on
Food Labeling
Show steps
- Choose a category of food (e.g., cereal, yogurt, frozen meals).
- Compare the nutrition facts labels of several products in the category.
- Identify the healthiest and unhealthiest options based on your knowledge of nutrition.
- Create a presentation or infographic to share your findings.
Cooking Class: Healthy Meal Preparation
Show steps
Attend a cooking class to learn practical skills for preparing healthy, whole-food meals.
Browse courses on
Healthy Eating
Show steps
- Register for a cooking class.
- Attend the class and participate actively.
- Practice the recipes you learned at home.
Reading Comprehension Checks
Show steps
Complete short quizzes after each lesson to reinforce knowledge of nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists.
Browse courses on
Reading Comprehension
Show steps
- Read the lesson and take notes on key concepts.
- Complete the comprehension check quiz.
- Review your answers and identify areas for improvement.
Personalized Meal Plan
Show steps
Create a personalized meal plan that meets your individual dietary needs and goals based on the principles learned in the course.
Browse courses on
Meal Planning
Show steps
- Determine your daily calorie needs.
- Calculate your macronutrient ratios (carbohydrates, protein, fat).
- Choose nutrient-rich foods that fit into your calorie and macronutrient goals.
- Create a meal plan that includes a variety of foods from all food groups.
- Track your progress and make adjustments as needed.
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