Nutrition and Food Science
This domain tests nutrition science, dietary guidance, food safety, and food preparation as applied in family and consumer sciences classrooms. Questions often use a food label, a meal scenario, or a kitchen safety situation, so you need both nutrient math and safe-handling rules.
Nutrient and dietary rules
- Energy values: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g.
- MyPlate: make half the plate fruits and vegetables; choose whole grains; vary lean protein; include low-fat dairy or a fortified alternative; limit added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat.
- Essential amino acids must come from food; complementary proteins (rice and beans) supply a complete amino-acid pattern across the day.
- Food allergy is an immune response; intolerance is a digestive response. Anaphylaxis requires epinephrine, not antihistamines alone.
Food safety rules
- Keep food out of the temperature danger zone, 41°F–135°F. Cook poultry to 165°F, ground meat to 160°F, and reheat leftovers to 165°F. Cool leftovers rapidly, within 2 hours.
- Prevent cross-contamination: separate cutting boards, wash hands, and do not wash raw poultry-splatter spreads pathogens.
- HACCP: conduct hazard analysis, identify critical control points, set limits, monitor, correct, verify, and document.
Worked example
A label lists 20 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, and 8 g fat per serving. Calories = (20 × 4) + (10 × 4) + (8 × 9) = 80 + 40 + 72 = 192 kcal. If the package contains 2.5 servings and the student eats the whole package, multiply by 2.5: 480 kcal.
Traps that cost marks
- Using 4 kcal/g for fat.
- Treating “natural” or “organic” as a food-safety guarantee.
- Confusing serving size with portion size.
- Forgetting that allergen traces can occur through shared equipment.