• University of California Riverside Logo

An Introduction to Nutrition and Healthy Living

Learn to live a healthier life as you discover how to create a balanced meal and the importance of exercise and sleep.

984 enrolled on this course

Couple buying fresh nutritional produce in supermarket as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle
  • Duration

    6 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

Explore healthy eating and active living

This six-week course will introduce you to the importance of healthy eating and active living to help you improve your overall wellbeing.

From creating a balanced meal and understanding how our digestive system works to exploring nutrition at every stage of life, you’ll learn key nutrition concepts to apply to your everyday life.

You’ll finish the course with the vital tools to make nutrition and healthy activity a part of your lifestyle.

Understand what makes a balanced meal

You’ll learn about the digestive system as you unpack the role of macronutrients, micronutrients, water, and fibre in improving gut health.

Next, you’ll delve into nutritional strategies based on gender, age, target population, and more to understand how to create balanced meals and healthy eating for all different types of people.

Unpack healthy living and the importance of exercise

With an improved knowledge of healthy eating, you’ll investigate the role of exercise in supporting healthy living. You’ll explore the benefits of exercise and how you can do more of it, no matter what your age.

Next, you’ll investigate the importance of sleep and how lack of sleep affects us in different ways.

Delve into meal planning

Finally, you’ll learn the methods to effectively plan your meals to optimise your health. You’ll explore techniques such as mindfulness and food journaling to help further improve your health.

Learning from the experts at the University of California, Riverside, you’ll finish the course with a solid understanding of nutrition to ensure you no longer diet and instead, lead a healthier life.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Understanding a Balanced Meal and Healthy Eating

    • a pile of strawberries, blueberries, and cherries

      Course Introduction

      We introduce ourselves!

    • Smiling granddaughter helping her grandmother to put vegetables in a pot while cooking together at the kitchen

      Eat Good, Feel Good

      We break down how food can affect your mental health.

    • Closeup Of Homemade Vegetarian Pizza On Wooden Background

      Calorie Intake

      How do you measure the right amount of food to eat for adults vs kids?

    • Image of cart full of products in supermarket

      Healthy Eating

      We discuss MyPlate and healthy eating.

  • Week 2

    The Role of Nutrients, Water, and Fiber

    • Salmon And Ingredients

      Understanding Nutrients

      We discuss the importance and difference of micro and macro nutrients, carbs and the glycemic index.

    • Raw Steak With Herbs And Pepper

      Protein

      We break down protein, the biological value of protein and discuss fats.

    • Mix Of Fresh Berries In A Basket On Rustic Wooden Background

      Vitamins and Minerals

      We discuss micronutrients, toxicities and the importance of vitamins and minerals.

    • Young fit woman drinking water at gym

      The Importance of Water

      We discuss water, dehydration and the dangerous of sugar.

    • Fruit Salad

      Fiber

      We define what fiber is and discuss the benefits of it and how to ingest more fiber.

    • Nutrition Facts

      Nutrition Labels

      We break down and discuss nutrition labels.

  • Week 3

    The Digestive System and Improving Gut Health

    • Girl with fruit lying on the grass

      The Digestive System

      We identify the parts of the digestive system and the process of digestion.

    • Digestive Health

      We discuss why digestive health is so important and it's affects on your mental health.

    • Close-up Of Pretty Girl Eating Fresh Vegetable Salad

      The Process of Digestion

      We break down the process of digestion.

    • Portrait of a young businesswoman with stomach pain and looking at camera over white background

      Common Digestive Disorders

      We break down common digestion problems.

    • Close-knit family gathered together in kitchen, talking to each other animatedly and eating healthy breakfast, waist-up portrait

      Addressing Chronic Digestive Issues

      We discuss how to deal with certain digestion issues.

  • Week 4

    Nutrition for Infants and Youth

    • Group of friends on bicycles in countryside enjoy summer sport

      Benefits of Physical Activity

      We discuss the benefits of physical activity.

    • Family running on path smiling

      Exercising as a Family

      The benefits of exercising as a family.

    • Portrait of girl sleeping. Young woman lying in bed in the morning.

      Sleep

      We discuss sleep.

    • young woman yawning and stretching arms.

      Benefits of Sleep

      We go through the many benefits of sleep.

  • Week 5

    Nutrition for Women, Men, and Seniors

    • Senior couple jogging on the coast

      Adults and Exercise

      We discuss the benefits of exercise.

    • Active seniors running with their dog outside in green nature

      Exercise for Seniors

      Exercise after age 65 still has its benefits.

    • Man lying in bed sleeping

      Sleep for Adults

      We discuss how sleep affects adults.

  • Week 6

    Meal Planning and Mindfulness

    • Picture of happy young loving couple standing at kitchen and cooking together using laptop computer. Looking aside.

      Meal Planning

      We introduce the concept of meal prepping.

    • Grocery List

      Advanced Meal Planning

      We dive deeper into meal planning.

    • Close up portrait a smiling happy businesswoman making notes while sitting on the office desk

      Food Journaling

      We introduce the concept of food journaling.

    • Portrait of happy family having Thanksgiving dinner

      How Food Affects your Mood

      We discuss the mental impacts that nutrition has.

    • Portrait Of Calm Woman Sitting In Pose Of Lotus In Natural Environment

      Meditation

      We discuss how meditation and mindfulness can impact your mental and physical health.

    • Course Conclusion

      We review the course goals and the key to nutrition and healthy living.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Investigate the role of macronutrients and micronutrients in healthy eating and living
  • Identify the organs of the digestive system and how they work together
  • Assess nutritional needs based on gender, age, sex, and target population
  • Evaluate how methods like meal planning or food journaling can optimize one's health

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about how to improve their diet and overall health.

Who will you learn with?

David Dayton

I am an Academic Director of Professional Programs at the University of California, Riverside Extension. I have a background in education and instructional design and will be facilitating UCR courses.

Who developed the course?

University of California Riverside Logo

University of California, Riverside

Established in 1954, UCR University Extension is the continuing and professional development division of the University of California, Riverside (UCR), and is an internationally-recognized leader in education for individuals, organizations, and communities–regionally, nationally, and internationally.

  • Established

    1954
  • Location

    UCR University Extension 1299 University Ave. Suite 201 Riverside, CA 92507 Tel: 951.827.4105

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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