QCHP Dietitian key terms

A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods by how much they raise blood glucose in the two hours after eating, compared with a reference food such as glucose or white bread.

A measure that combines a food's glycemic index with the amount of available carbohydrate in a typical serving, giving a fuller picture of the blood glucose response.

Nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin from plants. Soluble types form gels that slow glucose absorption and lower cholesterol; insoluble types add bulk and speed intestinal transit.

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

The difference between nitrogen taken in through protein and nitrogen lost in urine, feces, and sweat. A positive balance means net protein gain; a negative balance means net loss.

Unsaturated fats with at least one double bond in the trans configuration, formed industrially by partial hydrogenation or naturally in ruminant animals. They raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol.

The energy the body uses at complete rest to maintain vital functions such as breathing, circulation, and cell turnover, usually measured after an overnight fast and rest.

The energy cost of digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing nutrients, roughly 5–10% of total energy intake and highest for protein.

The sum of basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, and energy burned through physical activity, representing all calories a person uses in a day.

The proportion of a nutrient in food that is absorbed and available for the body to use. It depends on food form, other meal components, and the person's physiology.

A naturally occurring compound in food, such as phytate or oxalate, that binds minerals or otherwise reduces the absorption of nutrients from the diet.

A food processing technique that adds hydrogen to unsaturated oils to make them more solid and shelf-stable, which can create trans fatty acids when partial.

A systematic food safety system that identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards at each step of production and sets controls and monitoring at critical points to prevent them.

The temperature range, roughly 5°C to 60°C, in which bacteria multiply most rapidly in food; holding food in this range for long periods increases foodborne illness risk.

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

A written formula for a food item that specifies exact ingredient quantities, yields, portion sizes, and production steps so results are consistent each time it is made.

The part of a food item that is actually eaten after trimming and waste removal, used to calculate true nutrient content and purchasing needs.

Deliberately measuring and serving consistent amounts of food to meet nutrient and cost targets, reduce waste, and support accurate calorie and nutrient delivery.

Nutritional assessment and individualized diet treatment provided by a dietitian to manage a disease or condition, distinct from general nutrition education.

Delivery of liquid nutrients directly into the gastrointestinal tract by tube, used when a person cannot eat enough by mouth but the gut still works.

Delivery of nutrients directly into the bloodstream through a vein, bypassing the digestive tract, for patients whose gut cannot absorb or be used.

A potentially fatal shift of electrolytes, especially phosphate, potassium, and magnesium, into cells when nutrition is restarted in a malnourished person, requiring slow, monitored feeding.

Rapid emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine after gastric surgery, causing cramping, diarrhea, flushing, and blood sugar swings; managed with small, low-sugar meals.

A systematic four-step framework used by dietitians: nutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis, nutrition intervention, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation.

A clear statement of a specific nutrition problem that a dietitian can treat, written in PES format: problem, etiology, and signs and symptoms.

The systematic collection and interpretation of data on anthropometry, biochemical markers, clinical findings, dietary intake, and history to identify nutrition problems.

Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in adults; it does not measure body composition directly.

A dietary assessment method in which a person reports everything eaten in the past 24 hours; quick and low burden but dependent on memory and unrepresentative of usual intake.

A dietary assessment tool that asks how often and how much a person usually eats a defined list of foods over a period, useful for ranking habitual intake.

Limited or uncertain access to enough safe, nutritious food for an active, healthy life because of money or other resources.

An area, often low-income, where residents have poor access to affordable fresh, nutritious food because of distance to supermarkets or limited transportation.

A family of nutrient reference values including estimated average requirement, recommended dietary allowance, adequate intake, and tolerable upper intake level, used to plan and assess diets.

The average daily intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient needs of nearly all healthy people in a given life-stage and sex group.

A collaborative counseling style that helps clients find their own reasons to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence, rather than by advising or persuading.

A behavior-change model describing readiness as precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and sometimes termination; interventions are matched to the person's stage.

The degree to which a person can obtain, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions, which shapes how nutrition education must be written and taught.

The boundaries of the services a professional is legally and ethically permitted to provide, based on training, licensure, and law.

A client's voluntary agreement to a service after being told its purpose, risks, benefits, alternatives, and right to refuse, given without coercion.

A situation where a personal, financial, or other interest could improperly influence professional judgment, requiring disclosure and management to protect client trust.

Combining the best available research evidence, clinical expertise, and client values and preferences to make decisions about nutrition care.

A structured, reproducible summary of all relevant studies on a focused question, using explicit search, selection, and quality appraisal methods, often with meta-analysis.

The process of systematically judging a study's validity, reliability, and relevance to decide how much weight its findings deserve in practice.

Ongoing, systematic efforts to measure and improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of nutrition services using data, feedback, and planned changes.