EUC-NUTRI key terms

The amount of energy a food provides per unit of weight, usually expressed in kilocalories per 100 grams. Foods high in water and fiber tend to have low energy density, while fatty foods are typically energy-dense.

Standard conversion values used to estimate metabolizable energy from macronutrients: about 4 kcal per gram for carbohydrate and protein, 9 kcal per gram for fat, and 7 kcal per gram for alcohol.

The energy a person expends at complete rest to maintain vital functions such as breathing and circulation, measured under standardized conditions. It usually accounts for the largest share of total daily energy expenditure.

The sum of all energy a person uses in a day, combining basal metabolism, the thermic effect of food, and energy spent on physical activity and thermoregulation.

A multiplier expressing habitual daily activity energy use relative to resting metabolism. It is used with basal or resting metabolic rate to estimate total energy needs for an individual.

The nine amino acids the body cannot synthesize in adequate amounts and must obtain from food: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

The essential amino acid present in the lowest proportion relative to the body's needs in a given protein source. It restricts how effectively that protein can be used for synthesis.

A measure of how well a protein source supplies essential amino acids in amounts and proportions that support body protein synthesis, considering both amino acid composition and digestibility.

A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods by how much they raise blood glucose over about two hours compared with a reference food, typically glucose or white bread.

A measure that combines a food's glycemic index with the amount of available carbohydrate in a realistic serving, giving a better picture of the blood glucose impact of a portion.

Nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin from plants. Soluble types can slow glucose absorption and lower cholesterol, while insoluble types add bulk and support bowel regularity.

Nondigestible food components, often certain fibers and oligosaccharides, that selectively stimulate the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms in the gut, such as bifidobacteria.

Live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate amounts, may confer a health benefit on the host, for example by supporting gut flora balance or reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

The proportion of a nutrient or other substance in food that is absorbed and made available for normal body functions or storage. It depends on food form, processing, and interactions with other dietary components.

A naturally occurring compound that reduces the absorption or use of a nutrient, such as phytates that bind minerals or oxalates that limit calcium absorption.

Iron bound within heme, the form found mainly in animal foods such as meat and fish. It is absorbed more efficiently than non-heme iron and is less affected by other dietary components.

Iron found in plant foods and fortified products, not bound within heme. Its absorption is strongly influenced by dietary factors, with vitamin C enhancing uptake and phytates or tannins inhibiting it.

The average daily intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all healthy individuals in a particular life-stage and sex group, typically set above the estimated average requirement.

The average daily nutrient intake estimated to meet the requirement of half of healthy individuals in a given group. It is used to assess adequacy of population intakes and to set the recommended dietary allowance.

The highest average daily intake of a nutrient that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects for almost all individuals in a specified group, used to guard against excessive intake.

A screening ratio of weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in adults, with limitations for athletes and older adults.

The measurement of body dimensions and composition, including height, weight, circumferences, and skinfold thickness, used to assess growth, nutritional status, and health risk.

A measurement around the abdomen used as an indicator of central adiposity and related cardiometabolic risk, often interpreted alongside body mass index rather than in isolation.

A dietary assessment method in which an individual reports all foods and beverages consumed in the previous 24 hours. It is quick but may not reflect usual intake, so it is often repeated.

A structured survey asking how often and in what amounts a person usually consumes listed foods over a defined period, useful for ranking habitual intake in large populations.

A prospective method in which a person weighs or estimates and logs all foods and drinks consumed over a set period, usually several days, to estimate usual intake.

A range of intake, expressed as a percentage of total energy, associated with reduced chronic disease risk while providing essential nutrients: roughly 45–65% carbohydrate, 20–35% fat, and 10–35% protein for adults.

Evidence-based, population-level recommendations on food and nutrient intake intended to promote health and reduce diet-related chronic disease, typically updated periodically by national health authorities.

Nutrition recommendations expressed in terms of foods, food groups, and eating patterns rather than isolated nutrients, designed to be practical for the public and adapted to local food cultures.

Sugars and syrups added to foods during processing or preparation, plus sugars in sweetened beverages, as distinct from sugars naturally present in fruit, vegetables, and milk.

Feeding an infant only breast milk, without additional food or drink other than possibly vitamin or mineral supplements, generally recommended for the first six months of life.

The process of introducing safe, adequate solid and liquid foods alongside breast milk or formula starting around six months, when milk alone no longer meets nutritional needs.

A reference tool plotting measurements such as weight, length, and head circumference against age percentiles, used to monitor child growth and detect faltering or excessive gain.

The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, which increases frailty, falls, and functional decline in older adults and is influenced by protein intake and physical activity.

The combined likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, driven by factors such as central obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and impaired glucose regulation.

An eating pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, with limited saturated fat and sodium, shown to lower blood pressure and support cardiovascular health.

Lowering dietary sodium intake, often by limiting processed and restaurant foods, to help control blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk; most guidelines recommend staying below about 2,300 mg per day.

The standardized label section listing serving size, energy, macronutrients, key micronutrients, and percent daily values per serving, intended to help consumers compare packaged foods.

A label statement linking a food or component to a reduced risk of a disease, permitted only when it meets regulatory criteria and is accompanied by required qualifying language.

A label statement describing how a nutrient or food component affects normal body function, such as supporting bone health, without claiming to prevent or treat a disease.

A systematic food safety system that identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards, establishes control points and limits, and monitors them to prevent contamination rather than relying on end-product testing.

The temperature range, commonly 5 to 60 degrees Celsius or 41 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply most rapidly, so perishable foods should be kept outside it.

The transfer of harmful microorganisms or allergens from one food, surface, or utensil to another, often through shared cutting boards or unwashed hands during preparation.

A client's voluntary agreement to a service or intervention after receiving clear information about its purpose, benefits, risks, alternatives, and their right to decline or withdraw.

The legal and professional boundaries defining which services and activities a practitioner is qualified and permitted to perform, based on training, licensure, and applicable regulations.

The ethical and often legal duty to protect a client's private health information from unauthorized disclosure, sharing it only with consent or when required by law.

Directing a client to another qualified professional when their needs fall outside the practitioner's competence or scope, such as suspected eating disorders or complex medical conditions.