What does the Science of Nutrition course teach about carbohydrates, fats, and proteins?

It explains how macronutrients are digested, used for energy, and support functions such as brain fuel, cholesterol health, and tissue repair.

How does nutrition affect bone health, blood health, and fluid balance?

The course covers key nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, electrolytes, folate, and antioxidants and their roles in these body systems.

Does the nutrition course cover diet planning for weight management, pregnancy, and different life stages?

Yes. It addresses healthful diet design, body-weight maintenance, physical activity, pregnancy and infancy nutrition, and age-appropriate portions for children.

Free Course Image The Science of Nutrition

Free online course The Science of Nutrition

Duration of the online course: 1 hours and 47 minutes

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Build healthier eating habits with a free online nutrition course—learn metabolism, macros, food safety, and weight management, plus a certificate option.

In this free course, learn about

How nutrition influences health, disease risk, and overall well-being
Principles of a healthful diet (adequacy, balance, variety, moderation, nutrient density)
Digestion and absorption basics, including the small intestine’s key role
Carbohydrates: types (mono-, di-, polysaccharides) and glucose as the brain’s main fuel
Fats: saturated vs unsaturated; why unsaturated fats best support healthy cholesterol
Proteins: primary roles in building/repairing tissues and making enzymes/hormones
Fluid and electrolyte balance; key electrolytes like phosphorus for fluids and bones
Oxidation and antioxidants: how oxidative reactions occur and how antioxidants protect cells
Bone health nutrients: vitamin D’s role in calcium/phosphorus absorption and utilization
Energy metabolism and blood/early development: folate for cell division and neural tube
Healthy body weight management, including what raises BMR (e.g., more lean mass)
Nutrition and physical activity: components of a balanced fitness program
Food safety: preventing foodborne illness via safe handling and avoiding cross-contamination
Pregnancy, infancy, and childhood nutrition: key nutrients and portion sizes for growth

About the free online course

Understanding nutrition can feel overwhelming when advice changes daily. This course helps you cut through the noise by focusing on the science behind how food affects energy, health, and body weight. You will connect essential concepts—digestion, metabolism, and nutrient functions—to real choices you make at the table, so you can evaluate trends with confidence and build habits that actually fit your life.

You will explore how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, why fluid and electrolyte balance matters, and how antioxidants support normal metabolic processes. Along the way, you will learn how nutrients influence blood health and energy production, and how food and movement work together to support fitness goals. Practical explanations make it easier to spot the difference between helpful guidance and common misconceptions, especially when it comes to dieting, portion sizes, and long-term weight maintenance.

The course also emphasizes life-stage needs, highlighting how nutrition priorities can shift from pregnancy and infancy through childhood and beyond. You will gain a clearer view of what supports bone health, why certain vitamins are essential during periods of rapid growth, and how everyday eating patterns can be adjusted thoughtfully over time. This makes the learning useful whether you are planning meals for yourself, supporting a family member, or simply wanting a stronger foundation for wellness decisions.

To round out the science with real-world skills, the course reinforces safe food handling and smart meal preparation. You will see how small actions in the kitchen help reduce risk and protect health, turning food safety into a simple routine rather than an afterthought.

With short assessments throughout, you can check your understanding and build momentum as you go. By the end, you will be able to design a balanced diet, make informed choices about weight management, and apply nutrition principles to daily life with clarity and consistency—all in a flexible, free online learning experience.

Course content

Video class: SCI-101 Module 1: The Role of Nutrition in Our Health 07m
Exercise: Which of the following is the primary source of fuel for the brain?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 2: Designing a Healthful Diet 06m
Exercise: According to the principles for designing a healthful diet, which of the following is NOT considered a key characteristic?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 3: The Human Body: Are We Really What We Eat? 07m
Exercise: What role does the small intestine play in the process of digestion?

Video class: ACI-101 Module 4: Carbohydrates 07m
Exercise: Which type of carbohydrate is considered the simplest form and cannot be broken down into smaller sugars?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 5: Fats 07m
Exercise: Which type of fat is generally considered the healthiest due to its ability to improve cholesterol levels?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 6: Proteins 08m
Exercise: What is the primary role of proteins in the body?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 7: Fluids and Electrolyte Balance 07m
Exercise: Which of the following electrolytes plays a critical role in both maintaining fluid balance and bone formation?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 8: Antioxidant Function 08m
Exercise: Which of the following statements accurately describes oxidation in metabolic reactions?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 9: Bone Health 08m
Exercise: Which vitamin plays a crucial role in the absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus, essential for bone health?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 10: Energy Metabolism and Blood Health 07m
Exercise: Which vitamin is crucial for cell division and formation of the neural tube in early embryonic development?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 11: Achieving and Maintaining Healhy Body Weights 07m
Exercise: Which of the following factors is primarily responsible for the increase in Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 12: Nutrition and Physical Activity 06m
Exercise: What is an important element of a well-rounded physical fitness program?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 13: Food Safety 05m
Exercise: Which of the following is a method to prevent foodborne illnesses by minimizing cross-contamination during meal preparation?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 14: Pregnancy and Infancy 07m
Exercise: What is one nutrient that is crucial for fetal tissue growth and the synthesis of maternal tissues during pregnancy?

Video class: SCI-101 Module 15: Nutrition Through the Life Cycle 04m
Exercise: Why is it important to serve appropriate portion sizes to preschool children?