Nutrition, Health and Consumer Food Choices
Dietary requirements and guidelines
Candidates must know the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the five food groups, the role of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, and the concept of a balanced diet providing energy and nutrients in appropriate proportions. Understand nutrient reference values including recommended dietary intake, adequate intake and upper level of intake, and how requirements vary across life stages such as childhood, pregnancy, lactation, older adulthood and physical activity levels.
Diet-related health conditions
Know the dietary risk factors linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dental caries, osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anaemia and some cancers. Understand the role of fibre, saturated and unsaturated fats, sodium, added sugar and calcium in these conditions. Traps include confusing the cause of a deficiency (for example, iron deficiency from poor absorption versus low intake) and assuming a 'low-fat' label means a healthy choice regardless of sugar content.
Consumer behaviour
Understand that food choice is influenced by physiological, psychological, social, economic, cultural and environmental factors, including cost, availability, convenience, habit, family, culture, religion, health beliefs, marketing and media. Know how food labels, health claims and front-of-pack labelling influence purchasing, and the role of food insecurity.
Rule of thumb
When explaining a food choice, name the factor, the mechanism and the likely dietary consequence.
Worked example
A family on a tight budget buys energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. The dominant factor is economic cost and availability; convenience also plays a role. The consequence is a diet potentially low in fibre and micronutrients and high in saturated fat and sodium, increasing risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease.