E-Modules: BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF NUTRITION

These Basic Nutrition videos were developed based on the training manual utilized by the Global Alliance for Improved nutrition (GAIN) to educate Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture and nutrition space to have a basic understanding of nutrition. The need to have these training materials raised from SME's request to the Marketplace Project, a project which was implemented by GAIN in Mozambique, Rwanda, and Kenya from 2015. SMEs realized that they do business but do not know how to align their businesses to serve the population with nutritious foods. These materials were initially meant for SMEs, however they can be used by other actors in the food value chain to improve the capacity and knowledge about nutrition. They cover aspects from key concepts of nutrition, malnutrition, current nutrition status, healthy diets, nutrition requirements for different stages of life, nutritional status assessment, food processing and preservation, and food systems.

Module 1: Basic Understanding of Nutrition

This module highlights the common words used in nutrition such as nutrients, foods, proteins, vitamins, and water among others. Upon completion, the viewer should be aware of the basic terminology used in nutrition to proceed to the following modules.

Keywords: food, nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water

Module 2: Malnutrition

This module explains the term “malnutrition”, its multifactorial causes, and impacts on the general population. It also shows opportunities for businesses to invest in nutrition. 

Keywords: nutrition, nutrition status, malnutrition, causes of malnutrition, impact of malnutrition on general population, sustainable development goals, nutrition business across the value chain

Module 3: Current Nutrition Status

This module gives an illustration of the global situation of nutrition drawn from nutrition gaps in communities.

Keywords: global nutrition, double burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, underweight, overweight, obesity, diet-related non-communicable diseases

Module 4: Healthy Diets

This module speaks about healthy diets. It provides guidance on the amount of food types necessary for the body and their importance in human health. 

Keywords: healthy diet, food pyramid guide, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat

Module 5: Nutritional Requirements for Different Stages of Life

This module conveys the nutritional requirements for different stages of life, from the pregnancy and lactation phase, to adulthood and later life (until a person is above 70 years old).

Keywords: intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, pregnancy and lactation, early childhood 0-59 months old, late childhood nutrition 5-9 years, adolescence (10 to 19 years), adults 20 to 59 years, older adults 60 years, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, iron, iodine, vitamin A, zinc, and calcium,

Module 6: Nutritional Status Assessment

This module explains how to assess one’s nutritional status based on conventional parameters, such as body weight and height.

Keywords: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, blood cholesterol and diet, basal metabolic rate (BMR)

Module 7: Food Processing and Preservation

This module explains good practices for maintaining the nutrients in foods throughout processing and preservation approaches. 

Keywords: post-harvest systems, food contamination and spoilage, perishability and storage of foods, food processing and nutrient content of foods, processes affecting the nutrient content of foods, food fortification, packaging and labelling of foods.

Module 8: The Food Systems

This module provides an overview of the food system and highlights the challenges, opportunities, and critical actors involved throughout the food system.

Keywords: food business, sustainable diets, food supply chains, food environments, consumer behavior, traditional food systems, mixed food systems, modern food systems, challenges in the food system, food desirability, farmers, food companies, food service, retail businesses, consumers, governments, non-governmental, civil society