AAFCS CFCS-HNFS key terms

The proportion of a nutrient consumed that is absorbed and made available to body tissues for normal physiological use. It depends on food form, competing compounds, and individual digestive and metabolic factors.

The process by which digested nutrients move from the intestinal lumen across the gut wall into blood or lymph. Different nutrients use distinct routes such as active transport, facilitated diffusion, or passive diffusion.

A vitamin or mineral required in small amounts for normal growth, development, and metabolism. Unlike macronutrients, micronutrients supply no energy but support enzyme function, blood formation, bone health, and other processes.

A naturally occurring compound in food that reduces the absorption or use of a nutrient. Examples include phytates, which bind minerals, and oxalates, which limit calcium uptake.

A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods based on how quickly they raise blood glucose compared with a reference food. Lower values indicate slower glucose release and flatter blood sugar response.

A measure that combines a food's glycemic index with its available carbohydrate content to reflect the actual blood glucose impact of a typical serving. It is often considered more practical than index alone.

The energy the body uses at rest to maintain vital functions such as breathing, circulation, and cell production. It typically accounts for the largest share of daily energy expenditure.

The energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing nutrients, expressed as a percentage of the energy consumed. Protein has the highest thermic effect among macronutrients.

The relationship between energy taken in from food and energy expended through metabolism and physical activity. Positive balance favors weight gain; negative balance favors weight loss.

An amino acid the body cannot synthesize in adequate amounts and must obtain from food. There are nine for healthy adults, including lysine, leucine, and tryptophan.

An assessment of a protein source's amino acid pattern and digestibility relative to human needs. Higher-quality proteins supply all essential amino acids in usable proportions.

Two or more protein foods eaten together whose amino acid patterns offset each other's limitations, forming a complete protein. A classic example is rice paired with beans.

A systematic food safety management approach that identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards and sets control points to prevent, eliminate, or reduce them to safe levels. It is required in many food processing operations.

The temperature range, roughly 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 60 degrees Celsius), in which bacteria multiply most rapidly in food. Perishable foods should be held outside this range.

The transfer of harmful microorganisms or allergens from one food, surface, or utensil to another. Using separate cutting boards and washing hands are common preventive practices.

An illness caused by eating food contaminated with pathogens, toxins, or harmful chemicals. Common agents include Salmonella, Listeria, and norovirus, with symptoms often gastrointestinal.

The deliberate addition of vitamins or minerals to a food to improve its nutritional value and prevent deficiencies. Examples include folic acid in enriched grains and vitamin D in milk.

The restoration of nutrients lost during food processing to levels present in the unprocessed food or to established standards. Enriched flour, for example, regains B vitamins and iron.

A measure of the unbound water available in food for microbial growth and chemical reactions. Lowering water activity through drying or salting extends shelf life.

Methods used to slow spoilage and prevent pathogen growth in food, such as canning, freezing, drying, fermentation, and adding preservatives. Each method targets specific spoilage mechanisms.

A standardized reference tool plotting a child's measurements, such as weight, length, and head circumference, against population norms by age and sex. It helps identify growth faltering or excess.

Slower-than-expected physical growth in infancy or childhood, often signaled by declining weight-for-age or weight-for-length percentiles. It may reflect inadequate intake, illness, or feeding difficulties.

The introduction of solid and semisolid foods alongside breast milk or formula, typically beginning around six months of age. It supplies nutrients and supports oral motor development.

Feeding an infant only breast milk, with no other foods or liquids except possibly vitamins or medicines, generally for the first six months. It supports immunity, nutrition, and bonding.

The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. Adequate protein intake and resistance activity help slow its progression in older adults.

Individualized nutrition assessment and counseling delivered by a qualified professional to treat a health condition. It may include modified diets, education, and ongoing monitoring of outcomes.

A condition in which cells respond poorly to insulin, causing the pancreas to produce more and blood glucose to rise. It is central to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Persistently elevated blood pressure, commonly defined as 130/80 millimeters of mercury or higher. Dietary approaches such as reducing sodium and increasing potassium help manage it.

An eating pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy that is low in saturated fat and sodium. It is used to prevent and manage high blood pressure.

A screening ratio of weight to height squared, used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in adults. It does not directly measure body fat or health status.

Reliable access at all times to enough food of sufficient quality for an active, healthy life. It includes physical availability, affordability, and consistent use of food.

Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or limited ability to acquire it in socially acceptable ways. It can range from mild anxiety about food to outright hunger.

An area with limited access to affordable, nutritious food, often because of distance to full-service grocery stores. Residents may rely on convenience stores with fewer fresh options.

Meeting current food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, balancing environmental, economic, and social dimensions. It includes reducing waste and conserving resources.

Edible food that is discarded or lost throughout the supply chain, from farm to household. Reducing waste conserves resources and can improve food access.

A brief, systematic process to identify individuals at nutritional risk who need further assessment. It uses simple indicators such as weight change, appetite, and disease status.

A comprehensive evaluation of nutritional status using anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, dietary, and environmental data. It forms the basis for diagnosis and intervention planning.

A clear statement of a nutrition problem that a professional can resolve or improve through nutrition intervention. It links assessment findings to planned action.

The ongoing review of nutrition-related indicators and intervention outcomes to determine whether goals are being met. It informs adjustments to the care plan.

The boundaries of professional services a practitioner is trained, licensed, and permitted to provide. Practicing outside these limits can create legal and ethical risk.

A client's voluntary agreement to a service or procedure after receiving understandable information about its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives. It supports autonomy and shared decision-making.

The ethical and legal duty to protect a client's private information from unauthorized disclosure. It applies to records, conversations, and identifying details shared with others.

The degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make informed decisions. Clear communication and plain language help address limited literacy.

A collaborative, client-centered counseling style that strengthens a person's own motivation and commitment to change. It uses open questions, reflective listening, and affirmation rather than advice-giving.

A behavior-change model describing readiness as progressing through precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Interventions are matched to a person's current stage.

Making practice decisions by integrating the best available research evidence, professional expertise, and client values and preferences. It favors systematic review findings over anecdote.

A rigorous, structured summary of all relevant studies on a focused question, using explicit search and appraisal methods. It reduces bias and may include a meta-analysis.

A statistical technique that pools results from multiple studies to produce a combined estimate of effect. It can increase precision but depends on the quality and comparability of included studies.

A ranking of study designs by their strength for answering a clinical question, from systematic reviews and randomized trials down to expert opinion. Higher levels generally carry more weight in decisions.

An unmeasured factor associated with both the exposure and the outcome that can distort an observed relationship. Study design and statistical adjustment help control for it.

A study in which researchers observe and measure participants without assigning an intervention. Common types include cohort and case-control designs, which can show associations but not prove causation.