Eating is so much a part of life that we tend to assume that we know everything about food. It is generally believed that provision of proper nourishment is mainly a question of income. Since food sustains life and accounts for a major portion of our living expenses, it will be useful for everyone to know about:

• The nutrients contained in different items of food;
• The needs of the human body in terms of various nutrients at different stages of life;
• Consequences of taking more/wrong types of food; and
• Ways of selecting food articles, and the techniques for processing, cooking and preserving them.

The focus of the programme is to enable you to make the best possible choice for meeting the nutritional needs of your family. At the same time it aims at helping you choose an adequate variety of foods to suit the taste of each individual in your family. In addition, you will learn about the nature of food-borne diseases and the importance of good food habits in preventing them. You will also be acquainted with schemes of quality control, consumer rights, etc.

Course Structure

The basic material to be studied has been brought out in a number of Blocks, covering a few interconnected topics. There are four Blocks for the first course, five for the second course and three for the third course. A Block is sub-divided into a number of Units, each Unit covering a distinct topic of the subject under study. In the beginning of each unit (Objectives of the Unit) we list out what you are going to achieve or gain after a study of the Unit.

Structure of the Unit
Objectives of the Unit
Introduction to the Unit
Contents of the Unit and Questions under 'Check Your Progress'
Summing Up
Glossary
Answers to Check Your Progress

List of Audio/Video Programmes Prepared for Certificate Programme in Food and Nutrition

Video Programmes

1. Retention of Nutrition
2. Is Your Food Safe to Eat ?
3. Convenience Foods
4. Nutrition During Pregnancy
5. How Do We Grow ?
6. Infancy and Pre-school Nutrition
7. Food Misinformation
8. Nutrition in Old Age

Audio Programmes

1. Let Us Choose the Right Food
2. Consumer Education
3. Importance of Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins