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Study undergraduate online with La Trobe University through Open Universities Australia. Explore all degrees, subjects and short courses now.

La Trobe’s Bachelor of Food and Nutrition is designed by leading nutrition experts to equip you with the capabilities needed to pursue your ideal career in health. You’ll be empowered to support individuals and communities to live healthy lifestyles and reduce the rising rates of preventable disease.With the increasing pressure on Australia’s healthcare system due to ageing, obesity and sedentary lifestyles there is growing demand for nutrition professionals to educate our society on the importance of nutrition and wellbeing.Gain hands-on experience in commercial kitchens and modern science labs, and explore a range of topics including sports nutrition, food science and gastronomy, and nutrigenomics.Study either in-person or fully online and on completion you’ll have the option to enter the workforce directly or continue onto La Trobe’s <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/courses/master-of-dietetics" target="_blank">Master of Dietetics</a>. Upon completion of your Master’s degree, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a practicing dietitian or sports or community dietitian.The Bachelor of Food and Nutrition is also a pathway into La Trobe’s <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/courses/bachelor-of-human-nutrition-with-honours" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(228, 35, 18);"> Honours program</a>, which enables you to pursue a career in research.During the course, you will:<ul><li>explore the functions of macro and micronutrients.</li><li>analyse the chemistry of both food and the human body.</li><li>study physiology and biochemistry to understand metabolic and biological systems.</li><li>discover nutritional epidemiology and the links between food, nutrition and disease.</li></ul>

Study nutrition as a science as well as a crucial part of wellbeing. Work towards a career as a nutritionist in a range of sectors. Graduate with the opportunity to move into Dietetics, and register with the Nutrition Society of Australia.

Bachelor of Food and Nutrition

Introduction to Nutrition

Empires, Power and the Modern World: Food as History

In this subject you will study the major food sources, functions and metabolism of macro-nutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate), alcohol, and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and be aware of the consequences of over and under-nutrition. Principles of energy balance (energy intake and energy expenditure), basic techniques for assessment of nutrient adequacy of individual diets and simple techniques for assessing body composition in adults will be explored. You will also be introduced to the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Nutrient Reference Values, and the use of food guides in assessing the diets of populations.

Navigate the makeup of the human body. Uncover diet myths, and select the most nourishing foods using dietary guidelines. Calculate muscle to fat ratio to determine health. Weigh up the balance between what people eat and the energy they burn.

In this subject students will develop detailed knowledge of how scientific manipulations of food impact on individual food components. Students will critically examine the processes involved in producing foods for human consumption from raw ingredients, highlighting food production and processing techniques that bring about changes to the biological, chemical, physical and nutritional state of the food. Through the development of a food product suitable for sale students will apply their knowledge of food safety, food production on a medium-large scale, sensory analysis, food labelling law, the development of standard costed recipes and nutritional analysis of recipes. Students will translate food science for consumers through development of a food label with supporting marketing and publicity materials.

Dig into a satisfying food career where you control the quality, nutritional value, labelling and safety of food. Food scientists research, develop and analyse ways to prepare, process and preserve raw ingredients from paddock to plate.

Applied Food Science

In this subject, you will develop an understanding of the relationships between nutrition and disease. You will explore key diseases in which nutritional factors have a role in the aetiology (as a platform for future studies in the prevention and management of nutrition-related diseases). You will consolidate skills in critical appraisal of the scientific literature in relation to the pathophysiology of nutrition-related disease.

Study the relationship between diet, health and disease. Analyse why food low in nutrition causes health conditions and reduces energy and performance. Discover how bacteria in food spreads, and find ways to prevent and manage diet related disease.

Diet Disease Relationships

In this subject you will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of epidemiology and epidemiological study designs and research concepts. These will be of direct relevance to the role of food and nutrition in the prevention, causation and management of disease. Nutrition measurement techniques for the assessment of diet and body composition of individuals and populations will be covered in depth. You will cover sources of data on mortality and morbidity, measures of disease prevalence, incidence and risk, chance, bias and confounding variables of relevance to nutritional epidemiology. Standard parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques will be reviewed, and you will have the opportunity to use statistical software programs to analyse a population dataset.

Study eating patterns and measure how diet, body mass and types of food can prevent or contribute to disease. Discover how a diet rich in nutritional value reduces risks to human health, and helps people to live longer.

Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills

In this subject, you will develop an understanding of the major food sources, metabolism and storage of the major food molecules carbohydrate, protein and fat (the macronutrients), alcohol, vitamins and minerals (the micronutrients), and water, and be aware of the consequences of over and under-nutrition. You will also develop an understanding of the principles of energy balance. You will be introduced to techniques for measuring and evaluating nutrient adequacy of diets of individuals and populations, including the use of nutrient databases, nutrient reference standards and food guides. You will also be introduced to simple techniques for measuring body composition of adults.

The food people eat, and the energy they store or burn off, shapes body size, fitness and health levels. Learn techniques to weigh up nutritional value, measure body mass, assess energy intake, and how to maintain a balanced and healthy diet.

Nutrition Fundamentals

In this subject, you will develop an understanding of nutrition requirements and physiological changes across the lifespan: pre-conception, pregnancy and foetal development, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and ageing. You will also learn about food and nutrition dietary patterns across the different life stages. You will be able to combine prior nutritional and biosciences knowledge and skills to gain a more in depth understanding of human nutritional needs, and habits/practices/behaviours.

Learn how the human body grows and changes—from the womb through adulthood and during the ageing process. Notice how nutrition, eating patterns and habits affect people’s size, fitness levels, and quality and length of human life.

Nutrition Throughout Life

In this subject, you will undertake a small nutrition-related research project. The project will provide you with experience and skills in project management, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, critical analysis, and preparation of a scientific report. You are expected to attend workshops, work independently in self- directed learning, and meet regularly with your project supervisor.

Run your own research project investigating the field of nutrition. Oversee data collection, analysis and interpretation. Exercise an ethical research approach, building to an oral presentation and a final project analysis at the end of the process.

Nutrition Research Minor Project

In this subject you will develop an informed understanding of the many factors influencing food, food use and food habits for individuals, communities and populations. These will include personal, social, cultural, environmental, economic and political factors. Through readings and media, discussion and assignments, you will review cuisines from a variety of cultures and the effects of multiculturalism on Australian culinary culture. An understanding of how the role of food has changed from ancient times to present day will be developed, and you will be introduced to monitoring and surveillance data used to understand factors influencing patterns and trends in food consumption worldwide.

Unwrap the rich relationship people have with food and what influences food use, choice and preferences. Learn how the role of food has transformed in society. Understand why people are impacted by trends, and need to know where their food comes from.

Society, Food Habits and Consumption

The food you eat is not just a matter of taste. It is the product of histories of imperialism, global trade and commerce, and industrial and scientific revolutions; it tells a story of cultural change and exchange. In this subject, we study global histories of food from the age of empires to the modern world. We will trace commodity chains for products such as chocolate and tea from agricultural production, through industrial manufacture, to retail, marketing and consumption. Along the way we will explore topics including slavery, Indigenous and ethnic food encounters, kitchens and modernity, adulterated food, and wartime food supplies. Through investigating political, legal, economic and cultural histories of food in global and local contexts, you will discover and debate key concepts including gender, class, race and power. You will bring historical understanding to the urgent question of food sustainability.This is a Level 1 subject. This subject includes live sessions in the form of either in-person or Zoom tutorials with the expectation of student attendance and participation.

In this subject you will undertake a series of interactive, application focused practical exercises that apply theory of biochemistry, physiology and human nutrition within a laboratory environment. This subject is delivered as an on-campus intensive program.Please note: this subject was previously known as DTN202 Food and Nutrition Practical Skills

Experience food science in the kitchen. Experiment in the lab with nutritional and biochemical tests. Study food and nutrition theory, biochemistry and physiology. Put theory into practice as you prepare and cook food in small and large quantities.

Course results for La Trobe University Undergraduate Nutrition Subjects

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