The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition offers a wide variety of courses with an emphasis on food sourcing, nutritional requirements, the functions of physiology and metabolism in the human diet, food choices, and issues of cultural and dietetic concern to consumers.
3 semester credits. A healthy lifestyle is based on eating nutritious food in appropriate amounts and promoting a sound lifestyle behavior that minimize the risk of chronic diseases so common nowadays in western world. This course introduces students to an in-depth knowledge of Mediterranean lifestyle, often defined as the healthiest and most complete, focusing on the nutritional aspects of Mediterranean diet and the cultural background of the most significant Mediterranean areas. Students will gain a sound knowledge of the criteria behind the Mediterranean diet pyramid and will compare it with 1) other world’s dietary regimens 2) the many different dietary recommendations that developed in the last thirty years, to better understand how also dietetics is directly affected by an evolving society. An emphasis will be put on the benefits of living and eating the Mediterranean way, thanks to a focus on the main Mediterranean style dietary patterns. During the course students will analyze statistics on disease reduction, learn how to calculate nutrients quantity in dishes and develop a balanced Mediterranean style menu that will combine both nutritional indications and gastronomic culture of the area. This course provides tools and core elements needed to understand and adopt a healthy way of eating. Prerequisites: Culinary Arts majors or three semesters of Dietetics and Nutrition coursework, or equivalent.
3 semester credits. The continuous growth of nutritional awareness worldwide has brought nutrition to be one of the fundamental subjects in constant evolution during the last decades. This course provides students with basic nutrition concepts and focuses on the overview of the requirements and functions of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and the major vitamins and minerals that are determinants of health and diseases in human populations. Emphasis will be placed on the role of nutrition in growth and health through the life cycle and the role of diet in the development of chronic diseases and the maintenance of a good health status thanks to a balanced food consumption. The course offers an overview of food policies, food education and an analysis of nowadays eating habits. Students will also learn the guidelines for the balancing of a vegetarian diet and understand how to read a food pyramid.
3 semester credits. This course is a study of the importance of nutrition in sports and exercise in order to maximize athletic potential and performance. Covered topics include food nutrients, role of water, bioenergetics in exercise and training, heat and fluid regulation during physical activity, weight, and eating behaviors. Students are encouraged to form educated and strategic regimens (exercise and dietary plans) from both scientific and holistic approaches for professional athletes and physically active individuals. Prerequisites: Introduction to Nutrition or equivalent.
6 semester credits. This course is a study of the importance of nutrition in sports and exercise in order to maximize athletic potential and performance. Covered topics include food nutrients, role of water, bioenergetics in exercise and training, heat and fluid regulation during physical activity, weight, and eating behaviors. Students are encouraged to form educated and strategic regimens (exercise and dietary plans) from both scientific and holistic approaches for professional athletes and physically active individuals. This course includes experiential learning hours in professional sport environments. Experiential learning is held in dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. In addition to regular lecture hours, students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management. Prerequisites: Introduction to Nutrition or equivalent.
3 semester credits. Forty years after the first appearance of Molecular Gastronomy, Chefs’ approach to food has dramatically changed. Gastronomists and food historians talk about the last great food revolution of our times; the movement that changed the way we perceive food and started to stimulate new questions and give interesting answers to those that want to enhance their food knowledge. Since then cooking has taken a great step forward, opening paths once impossible to even think about. This course is aimed at non-scientific students who wish to approach the world of scientific application toward cooking and want to improve their knowledge of cooking techniques. A scientist and a Chef will alternate teaching the course giving both technical information and practical suggestions. Students will learn cutting edge techniques to create new textures and amazing effects. Prerequisites: Two semesters of Culinary Arts coursework or equivalent.
3 semester credits. This course explores and examines the physiology of sensory organs and how we perceive flavors. The course is designed to expose students to the theory and practice of sensory evaluation techniques and their application to the composition of dishes. Students gain knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of taste, smell and other senses and experience using these senses as analytical tools to assess food products. From the simplicity of identifying the basic tastes to the complexity of aftertastes and aromas, the objective of this course is to train taste buds to better understand the mechanics of our senses as they get in touch with food. Why do we react positively to sweet taste? Why do we sometimes refuse bitter taste? Does umami taste really exist? The course will answer these and many other related questions in order to give the students the instruments needed to deal with flavors that are not generally accepted but require a deeper understanding before being appreciated. This course consists of experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). CEMI are dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. In addition to regular lecture hours, students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management. Prerequisites: Culinary Arts majors only.
3 semester credits. Wellness is the search for enhanced quality of life, personal and potential growth, through the choice of positive lifestyle behaviors and attitudes. Health can be improved on a daily basis by taking responsibility for our own well being. This course will teach students how our state of wellness is deeply influenced by a variety of factors including nutrition, physical activity, stress-coping methods, good relationships, and career success. Emphasis will be placed on the benefits of a constant and planned physical activity and on the understanding how each of these benefits is important to long-term health. The course provides students with the basic knowledge of primary (cardiorespiratory ability, muscular ability, flexibility, and body composition) and secondary (balance, coordination, agility, reaction time, speed, power, mental capability) components of fitness as well as the basics of anatomy. The course will teach students how to combine a targeted nutrition and physical activity for the pursue of good health as well as develop physical skills that also enhance the psychological and emotional wellbeing. Emphasis will be placed on the differences between health-related fitness and skill-related fitness. The course includes physical activity sessions focused on general physical wellness.
3 semester credits. Studies have shown that following the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits, especially when combined with exercise. This course includes lectures on various forms of physical and lifestyle activities and an overview of their respective health benefits. Lectures will also include visits to athletic centers within the local community and the nutritional aspects of the Mediterranean diet, and particularly the Italian culinary tradition. Food and wine tastings, and physical activity are integral components of the course and will result in the creation of a customized exercise and nutritional program by the student. This course also features a field learning component in relevant Italian locations to supplement and enrich academic topics.
3 semester credits. Italy represents longstanding traditions of food culture, wellness, and nutrition through health-oriented practices. Recent decades have represented a dramatic change in the way we approach health through the lens of food principles. Nutritional facts and information that are constantly updated and the ethics of sustainability have deeply influenced a global awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Italy’s approach to seasonality and nutritional balance is characterized by an abundance of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and a distinct respect for food. This course will provide students with a complete overview of how food can be the basis of wellness, along with the practice of a positive lifestyle through cultural understanding and integration with the local community. Particular emphasis will be placed, through discussions and direct practice, on seasonality and nutritional principles, whole foods, and freshness, traditional customs, and contemporary innovation. Course topics will also reference the aphorism of “We are what we eat” and how it aligns with the Italian culinary tradition and culture. Students will also complete a survey of the different dietary recommendations that have been researched and developed to examine how the field of dietetics is directly affected by social and cultural implications. Through hands-on experiences and on-site cultural activities, students will experience the fundamentals of wellness-oriented cuisine and lifestyles in Tuscany and Italy. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
3 semester credits. This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.