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FDSC40950

Academic Year 2026/2027

Food Health and Diet (FDSC40950)

Subject:
Food Science
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Agriculture & Food Science
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Alessandra Marcon Gasperini
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Online
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module Food Health and Diet (FDSC40950) provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of human nutrition and nutritional science.

The module defines nutrients and the concepts of nutrient and energy balance, and explores macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat), as well as water and alcohol. It examines their metabolism, physiological functions, and the mechanisms regulating their use in the human body. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are also addressed in relation to their specific roles in growth, development, and health, with attention to major dietary sources and the consequences of both deficiencies and excessive intakes.

The module also outlines nutritional recommendations and food-based dietary guidelines, explains the scientific principles on which they are based, and highlights differences across regions, emphasising the importance of environmentally sustainable approaches to nutrition. Finally, it addresses nutritional requirements across the life span, considering variations related to gender, physiological conditions, and levels of physical activity.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the functions, dietary sources, and metabolic roles of macro- and micronutrients, and assess the health effects of deficiency or excess.
2. Interpret individual energy needs and explain the components of energy balance.
3. Analyse how nutrient requirements are determined and how they inform public health policy and consumer guidance.
4. Evaluate variations in nutrient needs across age groups, genders, physiological states and physical activity levels.
5. Compare and contrast dietary reference values and food-based dietary guidelines across different global regions.
6. Communicate nutrition concepts and evidence-based recommendations effectively in academic and professional contexts.

Indicative Module Content:

Fundamentals in Human Nutrition and Nutrition Science; Sustainable diet; Nutrient Requirements for healthy and balanced diet; Food-based dietary guidelines; Macronutrients and their role in heath and disease; Energy balance; Nutrient balance; Micronutrients and their role in heath and disease; Challenges and hot topics in nutrition; Overnutrition and undernutrition; Food Choice; Factors determining nutrient requirements (age, gender, physiological state, physical activity).

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Not addressed

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Not addressed

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Novice

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Not addressed

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Not addressed

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Not addressed

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 1

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Lectures

15
Tutorial

10
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
TEACHING AND LEARNING APPROACHES
The module uses a range of teaching and learning methods, including recorded lectures, reflective learning, enquiry and problem-based learning, and interactive tutorials. Students will build on existing knowledge and apply it by creating authentic pieces of work. Reflective and enquiry-based approaches will be used to deepen understanding, while active learning will be a key feature of the interactive tutorials.

All material (slides, recorded lectures, assignments, instructions) will be available in Brightspace. Students are responsible for attending/watching the lectures, reading lecture material as suggested, completing homework and assignments. Students are advised to note any questions they may have on the material and ask these during lectures dedicated to this, or speak to the module coordinator and/or tutor.

REFERENCING
All coursework and assignments in the module must follow the Harvard Referencing Style. Both in-text citations and a full reference list are required to acknowledge all sources. Proper referencing is essential to avoid plagiarism and to allow others to locate and evaluate the research. Guidance and examples are available on the UCD Library resource 'Cite Them Right' and in the Brightspace page of the module.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Students are responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of all assessments submitted in this module, in accordance with the UCD Plagiarism Policy. The module coordinator will take all necessary steps to verify the integrity of submitted work.

USE OF GENERATIVE AI TOOLS
The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) is prohibited for any coursework, assessments, or submissions in this module unless explicit permission has been granted by the module coordinator. Unauthorised use, or failure to properly acknowledge and cite these tools when permitted, will be considered plagiarism and academic misconduct under UCD’s Academic Integrity Policy.

POLICY UPDATES
All policies, related documents, and forms are subject to amendment. Students should regularly consult the UCD Registry, Secretariat and Library websites for the most current versions of policies, regulations and guidelines.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Critical review of scientific evidence on a specific nutritional topic, focusing on the role of diet in promoting health and preventing major diet-related diseases. Week 11 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
25
 No
Individual Project: Case study analysis of scenario to assess nutritional needs and propose evidence-based dietary recommendations by creating an informative poster.
Week 8 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
35
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Two online quizzes designed to assess understanding of key concepts and lecture material throughout the module. Each quiz includes MCQs and SAQs. Week 6, Week 14 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 1 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Online automated feedback will be given following quizzes. Assignment 1 and 2 - Students will be provided with feedback following the submission of their work. This feedback will be given in written form - a general feedback, alongside things completed well, and aspects for improvement.

Lanham-New, S., Hill, Thomas R., Gallagher, A., Vorster, H.H. & Nutrition Society (Great Britain). 2019. Introduction to human nutrition. 3rd ed. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
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