PURDUE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

HW320 Contemporary Diet and Nutrition

Nutrition
Education
Guide
1
 PURDUE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

Nutrition Education Guide

By

Stacey Story

Purdue Global University

HW320: Contemporary Diet and Nutrition

May 03, 2022

 Table of Contents
Introduction
UNIT 1 DIETARY TREND S AND NUTRI TIO N

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 2 F OOD CHOICE S

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 3 F OOD CHOICE S: ECON OM ICS

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 4 F OOD CHOIC ES: F OODB OR NE IL L NESSES

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 5 GENETIC AL L Y ENGI NEER ED F OOD

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 6 THE ORG ANI C F OOD M OVEM ENT

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 7 GL OBAL F OOD M ARKETS

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 8 CONTEM PO RAR Y WEIGHT L OSS PROG RAM S

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 9 DIVERSITY OF F OOD CHOICES

Information to Remember
Resource
 Unit Unit

2 1
Unit 1 Dietary Trends and
Nutrition
Information to Remember:
 Nutritionist or Dietician? While the two titles are used interchangeably, there are slight
differences. A dietician has more education and requirements and is qualified to prescribe
meal plans and supplements with proper dosages for the client. A nutritionist is qualified
to educate clients on proper nutrition and guide them to a healthy lifestyle. A dietician is
qualified for any occupation that a nutritionist qualifies for but not vice versa. (Beeline,
2018).

Resource:
 https://portal.peopleonehealth.com/member- This website will allow clients to track their
food intake and exercise/physical activity daily. Daily and weekly reports can be
generated that will be beneficial to both the nutrition professional and client. The reports
will generate micro and macro nutrient amounts as well as caloric intake and energy used,
which enables the nutritionists to see key areas that the client needs to focus on changing.
This tracking tool will allow clients to input different meal plans to ensure they are
meeting their prescription meal plans and meeting the USDA’s recommended daily intake
amounts. (PeopleOne, n.d.).

Unit 2 Food Choices

Information to Remember:
 Social and Psychological factors play a role in consumers food choices. Social factors
such as class and culture influence and shape consumer food choices starting in the young
childhood years. Psychological factors such as mood and stress also influence food

2
 Unit

3
choices. It is important for nutrition professionals to understand the background and
cultural needs as well as the emotional state of their clients to best serve them.
(HealthKnowlege, n.d.).

Resource:
 https://www.jstor.org/stable/45120108 – This website/journal provides information about
food lobbies, the food pyramid, and U.S. nutrition policy overviews. This website is
beneficial to nutritionists for education on changes that occur with the food pyramid and
nutrition policies, why they are changed, and who influences the changes. It covers food
lobbies and how they have so much influence over things such as the USDA Dietary
Guidelines. This website also explains “the inherent conflict of interest in the Department
of Agriculture's dual mandates to promote U.S. agricultural products and to advise the
public about healthy food choices.” (JSTOR, n.d.).

Unit 3 Food Choice:

Economics
Information to Remember:
 Economics, food availability, food choices all go hand in hand. This unit explains the
three different sources of groceries: the basic grocery store, the modern supermarket, and
the hypermarket and how they impact food choices and food availability. The economic
status and the food availability determines the consumers food choices. Understanding the
client’s economic situation will help professionals guide their clients on utilizing what is
available to them. (Quain, 2018).

Resource:
 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19965354/#:~:text=Economic%20decision
%20factors%20such%20as,quality%20and%20also%20food%20safety. – This
website gives a comprehensive review of the association of diet cost with diet choices.

3
 Unit

4
It helps give nutrition professionals an understanding of how economic factors play a
role in their clients’ food choices. This will help a professional develop meal plans and
nutrition guides using the economic factors that affect their client.

Unit 4 Food Choices:

Foodborne Illnesses
Information to Remember:
 Safe handling of food is the number way to prevent a foodborne illness from occurring.
Proper safe handling of food includes cleaning, separating, cooking, and chilling when
being done by consumers at home. These safe handling techniques helps to reduce the risk
of contamination. Foodborne illnesses are cause by disease causing bacteria and pathogens
contaminating food. (FDA, n.d.).

Resource:
 https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html – This website provides nutritional
professionals with education on foodborne illnesses. It covers the causes of them and how
to prevent them. This website also has links for other valuable information such as past
and current foodborne illness outbreaks, their causes, and corrective measures. This can
help nutrition professionals stay up to date on current outbreaks to help their clients avoid
being affected by the outbreak.

4
 Unit Unit

6 5
Unit 5 Genetically Engineered
Food
Information to Remember:
 GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. GMO products are regulated with joint
effort by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). They each play their own
role in the regulation, but they all have one goal to ensure GMO products are safe for
humans, animals, and plants. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, n.d.).

Resource:
 https://www.usda.gov/topics/biotechnology/biotechnology-frequently-asked-questions-
faqs - This website provides educational information for nutritionists to understand exactly
what biotechnology is. This will be an important piece of education that will help
professionals educate their clients on GMO foods and exactly what that means to them.
This website gives a good review of the benefits and the risks associated with GMO’s and
agricultural biotechnologies.

Unit 6 The Organic Food

Movement
Information to Remember:
 Organic foods are taking on momentum as more and more consumers turn to organic
foods over conventional foods. The price of organic foods is slightly more than
conventional. The reasons range from smaller supply chains with a larger demand to
stricter regulations that are in place for organic foods. Client education on ways to cut
costs down when shopping for organic foods is important. (GoodRx, n.d.).

5
 Unit

Resource:
7
 https://nationalwellness.org/ - This website/organization is a great tool for nutrition
professionals to utilize throughout their career. This website provides information on the 6
dimensions of wellness; Spiritual, Intellectual, Social, Physical, Emotional, and
Occupational. They also provide information and education on organic food, their
locations, and things that should or should not be done regarding organic food. This
organization helps keep nutrition professionals up to date on current information regarding
wellness and food.

Unit 7 Global Food Markets

Information to Remember:
 Globalization of food markets is growing fast, creating cultures within the fast-food
market such as McDonalds’ own McWorld. Fast food cultures like this allow cultures to
experience other cultures food from the convenience of their own locations. The
globalization of fast-food restaurants has impacted consumer food choices all around the
globe because at one time these choices were not options. (Fleming, 2020).

Resource:
 https://publications.waset.org/10004931/the-effect-of-fast-food-globalisation-on-students-
food-choice - This website/journal provides research evidence of how globalization has
impacted student food choices. This website is beneficial to nutrition professionals by
helping them identify areas of food globalization that will affect their client food choices
just as it did the students in the research project. Having this information and education on
food globalization and the impact of food choices can help clients and professionals avoid
making bad food choices based on the influence of globalization of the food market.

6
 Unit Unit

9 8
Unit 8 Contemporary Weight
Loss Programs
Information to Remember:
 Over the counter (OTC) and prescription weight loss drugs are available for consumer use.
It is important to know that OTC drugs are not regulated, however, prescription weight
loss drugs are regulated. A doctor will only prescribe a patient prescription a weight loss
drug if they meet one of these two criteria: “body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30
or your BMI is greater than 27 and you have a serious medical problem related to
obesity, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.” (Mayo Clinic, 2020).

Resource:
 https://www.rxlist.com/weight_loss_medications/drugs-condition.htm#what - This
website has a lot of useful information on both OTC and prescription weight loss drugs.
This is a great tool to look up information such as benefits and risks of these drugs to be
able to educate clients. It also has information about the ingredients in these drugs and
different interactions that can occur with some of the ingredients when interacting with
other ingredients.

Unit 9 Diversity of Food

Choices
Information to Remember:
 Culture plays a big role in how people are influenced to make the food choices they do.
The food people grow up eating becomes part of them and will guide their food choices
throughout their lifetime. That makes understanding the client’s culture and upbringing
regarding food choices an important factor for all nutritional professionals. (Le., 2017).

7
Resource:
 https://www.nasm.org/continuing-education/certified-nutrition-coach?
cq_cmp=1715065141&utm_term=certified+nutritionist+degree&utm_campaign=CNC_A
CQ_SEARCH_MIX&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsearch&hsa_acc=245482
9191&hsa_cam=1715065141&hsa_grp=67006926437&hsa_ad=340215536877&hsa_src
=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-
295605178294&hsa_kw=certified+nutritionist+degree&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&h
sa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwsJ6TBhAIEiwAfl4TWCCmdnxau0FaYcoku68gn3T21VPs
R_nWKRxjyxxjFRe3YeRGtRtW2BoCR1YQAvD_BwE – This website/organization
provides nutritional professionals with great educational tools. The tools learned with this
website/organization will help professionals teach clients about facts versus fiction of
different diet choices using evidence-based research. There is also education provided on
the proper way to read and decipher food labels.

Part 2: Cultural Food – Mexican American

(specifically Tex-Mex)- Steak Fajitas
America was largely influenced by Mexican food dishes when the

Mexican Revolution took place and Mexican refugees fled to America in

large numbers. They brought with them their food culture and America

has been enjoying it ever since. Mexican food is a combination of Indian

(indigenous) and Spanish influences and consists of ingredients such as

corn, beans, and peppers that are native to their land. They prepare many

of their meals by grinding up those types of ingredients. When Mexican

food and American food collided it created a food genre known as Tex-

8
Mex which is a combination of Mexican and southern Texas food dishes.

Practitioners and consumers should know that Mexican American food is

made up of nutritionally balanced ingredients ensuring that they will often

be a healthy option to incorporate into meal plans. Steak fajitas are a great

example of Tex-Mex food. It incorporates steak cooked in a traditional

Texan way and Mexican foods such as peppers, beans, and corn to create a

delicious dish. It has become a staple of Mexican American food.

(ElRincon, 2021). I had no issue when preparing this steak fajita dish, it is

simple and involves searing flank steak and sautéing peppers and onions. I

did not make homemade tortillas so that cut down on the hardness of the

recipe as well. I have made this dish numerous times and will continue

making it in the future. It captures the use of ingredients native to Mexico

and the meat cooking style of southern America and is enjoyed all over the

U.S. by all cultures. Below is a picture of the steak fajitas I prepared and

the traditional way that my family serves them.

9
10
References:
Beelineweb.com. (2018). 21 Nutrition jobs that will make you love
what food can do.
Retrieved April 28, 2022, from:
https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/nutrition-jobs.asp

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, March 18).

Foodborne germs and illnesses. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html

ElRincon. (2021, October 12). How has Mexican food influenced

America. ElRincon. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from
https://www.elrincontx.com/mexican-food-influenced-america/

Fleming, E. (2020, October 2). Home. SidmartinBio. Retrieved April

13, 2022, from https://www.sidmartinbio.org/what-is-mcworld-
culture/

GoodRx. (n.d.). Is eating organic food worth the price? GoodRx.

Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.goodrx.com/well-
being/diet-nutrition/organic-food-worth-the-price

Health Knowledge. (n.d.). Social, behavioural and other determinants

of the choice of diet. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from
https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/di
sease-causation-diagnostic/2e-health-social-behaviour/social-
behavioural-determinants#4

JSTOR. (n.d.). Food lobbies, the Food Pyramid, and U.S. nutrition.
Retrieved March 10, 2022, from
https://www.jstor.org/stable/45120108

Le, C. B. (2017, January 7). What food tells us about culture. Freely
Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2022, from
https://freelymagazine.com/2017/01/07/what-food-tells-us-
about-culture/

Lo YT, Chang YH, Lee MS, Wahlqvist ML. (2009). Health and
nutrition economics: diet costs are associated with diet quality.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2009;18(4):598-604. PMID: 19965354.
Retrieved March 16, 2022 from
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19965354/#:~:text=Economic
%20decision%20factors%20such%20as,quality%20and
%20also%20food%20safety.

11
Mayo Clinic. (2020, November 4). Pros and cons of weight-loss drugs.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Retrieved April 19, 2022, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-
depth/weight-loss-drugs/art-20044832

Morelli, J., & Chang, L. (2009, July 14). Weight loss drugs
prescription and OTC by Rxlist.com. RxList. Retrieved April
19, 2022, from
https://www.rxlist.com/weight_loss_medications/drugs-
condition.htm#what

NASM. (n.d.). Become a certified nutrition coach: Nasm Nutrition

Certification. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from
https://www.nasm.org/continuing-education/certified-nutrition-
coach?
cq_cmp=1715065141&utm_term=certified+nutritionist+degree
&utm_campaign=CNC_ACQ_SEARCH_MIX&utm_source=g
oogle&utm_medium=paidsearch&hsa_acc=2454829191&hsa_
cam=1715065141&hsa_grp=67006926437&hsa_ad=34021553
6877&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-
295605178294&hsa_kw=certified+nutritionist+degree&hsa_m
t=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwsJ6TBh
AIEiwAfl4TWCCmdnxau0FaYcoku68gn3T21VPsR_nWKRxj
yxxjFRe3YeRGtRtW2BoCR1YQAvD_BwE

National Wellness Institute. (NWI). (2022, April 1). National

Wellness. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from
https://nationalwellness.org/

PeopleOne. (n.d.). Sign in. Retrieved March 05, 2022, from

https://portal.peopleonehealth.com/member

Quain, S. (2018).  The Difference between grocery, supermarket, &

hypermarket merchandisers.  Retrieved from:
smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-grocery-
supermarket-hypermarket-merchandisers-75675.html Retrieved
March 16, 2022 from
https://purdueglobal.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/207963/vie
wContent/13648092/View

USDA. (n.d.). Biotechnology faqs. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from

https://www.usda.gov/topics/biotechnology/biotechnology-
frequently-asked-questions-faqs

12
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. (FDA). (n.d.). Safe food handling.
Retrieved March 24, 2022, from
https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/safe-food-
handling

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). How gmos are regulated.
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Retrieved
March 29, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-
biotechnology/how-gmos-are-regulated-food-and-plant-safety-
united-states

Ukonu, I. C. (2016, April 15). The effect of fast food globalisation on

students' food choice. International Journal of Economics and
Management Engineering. Retrieved April 15, 2022, from
https://publications.waset.org/10004931/the-effect-of-fast-
food-globalisation-on-students-food-choice

13