Basic Human Nutrition

HLTH 230/3.0

Apple and stethescope to represent human nutrition

Overview

This course is designed as an introduction to human nutrition. Nutrition is a science, and as such, it will require you to learn some basics of biology, chemistry, and most importantly, biochemistry and physiology. While nutrition has its roots in food, this is not a cooking class, but a class about food, the human body and their relationship. The course is meant to provide you with an overall understanding of how our bodies require and use nutrients, non-nutrients and how health status can be affected. You will hopefully gain an appreciation for how incredible the human body is.

Learning Outcomes

Students should come away with the following knowledge and skills after
completing HLTH 230:
  1. An understanding of the digestion and absorption of food and how the nutrients and non nutrients have roles in the body and can affect one’s health
  2. An appreciation of diet planning, dietary guidelines, and nutrition labeling and how these are important to health
  3. A broad knowledge base of the Influences and factors affecting bodyweight
New Learning Objectives for Winter 2022
  • Describe how food is digested and absorbed into the body 

  • Identify the roles of nutrients and non-nutrients in the body  

  • Plan meals for personal consumption demonstrating the importance of dietary guidelines, Dietary Reference Intakes, and nutrition labeling 

  • Assess a diet and recommend appropriate adaptations 

  • Investigate inter-relationships between food consumption, body weight change, anatomical function, and general health within the typical contexts 

Lesson Schedule

Unit 1Nutrition Overview, Food Choices and Guidelines
Unit 2Digestion and Foodborne Illness
Unit 3Carbohydrates and Alternative Sweeteners
Unit 4Protein and Vegetarian Diets
Unit 5The Lipids
Unit 6 & 7Vitamins, Minerals and Water
Unit 8Alcohol
Unit 9Energy Balance and Bodyweight
Final Exam to be written during Final Exam Period

Terms

Summer (May–July) 2024
Course Dates
Exam Dates (if applicable)
Delivery Mode
Online

Evaluation

5% - Video Discussion Activities 
15% - Nutrition Basic Concepts (assignment 1) 
15% - Balanced Meals (assignment 2) 
25% - Diet Analysis (assignment 3) 
40% - Proctored Final Exam

** Evaluation Subject to Change **

Proctored Exams

If a student is enrolled in ONLY online courses (section 700), they may choose either of the following options to write the exam:

  • Write the final exam online: you will write in onQ with Examity proctoring. A $100 online exam fee will be charged to your SOLUS account.  
  • Write the final exam in-person: you will write on Queen’s campus in Kingston. You will not be charged an extra fee to write on campus. 

If a student is enrolled in ANY in-person courses (section 001, 002, etc), you MUST write all your final exams in-person on Queen’s campus, including for an online course. You may not choose to write your exams online. 

Location and Timing of Final Exams

Once the exam schedule has been finalized the exam date will be posted on your SOLUS account. The exam dates for each Term are listed in the Academic Calendar. Student exam schedules for the Fall Term are posted via SOLUS immediately prior to the Thanksgiving holiday; for the Winter Term they are posted on the Friday before Reading Week, and for the Summer Term they are individually noted on the Arts and Science Online syllabi. Students should delay finalizing any travel plans until after the examination schedule has been posted. Exams will not be moved or deferred to accommodate employment, travel/holiday plans or flight reservations. 

Instructor Message

Taking Basic Human Nutrition online provides an excellent opportunity for you to learn nutrition basics at the times during the week that work best for you. The course modules, textbook, diet analysis program and some research will provide you with all the information you require for the course. In addition, onQ will allow you to discuss topics with other students or ask me questions to help clarify the material. With the flexibility of an online course, be sure to stay on top of things throughout the term because the material can pile up quickly and extensions will not be granted.  This course will give you an introduction to nutrition and will provide you with very useful and relevant information about diet, nutrition and health. Remember however that one nutrition course does not make anyone an expert. Be sure to learn a lot, have fun and hopefully even pursue future nutrition courses, but remember to leave detailed counseling to the professionals.

Textbook and Materials

ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.

Required Textbook and Materials

MindTap with Diet and Wellness Plus (MultiTerm) for Sizer's Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies), 5th edition.  This contains multiterm access to:

  • Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies.  5th Canadian edition.  Sizer, Whitney, Piche. Cengage. - the electronic textbook
  • Diet and Wellness Plus (required for an assignment worth 25%)   

Time Commitment

To complete the readings, assignments, and course activities, students can expect to spend, on average, about 9 hours per week (108 hours per term) on the course.