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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Stanford Introduction to Food and Health by Stanford University

4.7
stars
30,727 ratings

About the Course

Around the world, we find ourselves facing global epidemics of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and other predominantly diet-related diseases. To address these public health crises, we urgently need to explore innovative strategies for promoting healthful eating. There is strong evidence that global increases in the consumption of heavily processed foods, coupled with cultural shifts away from the preparation of food in the home, have contributed to high rates of preventable, chronic disease. In this course, learners will be given the information and practical skills they need to begin optimizing the way they eat. This course will shift the focus away from reductionist discussions about nutrients and move, instead, towards practical discussions about real food and the environment in which we consume it. By the end of this course, learners should have the tools they need to distinguish between foods that will support their health and those that threaten it. In addition, we will present a compelling rationale for a return to simple home cooking, an integral part of our efforts to live longer, healthier lives. View the trailer for the course here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7x1aaZ03xU...

Top reviews

PN

Aug 22, 2021

Very informative! Thanks for having this course free so that more people who are starting to learn about eating properply (like me) will be able to get access to authentic and legit lessons on food ;)

KW

Mar 10, 2023

This course has a lot of great information on nutrition and simple eating without being overwhelming. It gives practical advice that anyone seeking to eat healthier can implement in their daily lives.

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1 - 25 of 8,803 Reviews for Stanford Introduction to Food and Health

By Massimo P

•

Jan 21, 2016

Hi,

I was looking for a good introduction course to food and nutrition and, alas, this is not it.

I knew 90% of the things discussed in this course, and I was expecting more, but all I got was very basic advices ("eat less", "don't eat crap", etc.), all with videoclips and music which got annoying really quick.

Disappointing.

Take care.

By Alexander S

•

Mar 21, 2016

Utterly disappointing. I hoped for a fact-based education on current scientific thinking in nutrition. Instead, this course consists of a couple of people's opinions on eating, without cited evidence, presented in a feel-good documentary-lite format with good camerawork and cute children. This is a high school public service announcement, not a university course; not what I'd expect from Stanford or Coursera.

By Dan

•

Dec 28, 2018

Not actually a 'course' but a short series of very basic self-help videos with distracting background music throughout. 3 stars because it's a nice public service by Stanford but I personally was expecting a university-level course.

By Thuy-Truc L L

•

Oct 1, 2016

Extremely interesting course. I feel the material and videos were very easy to absorb and understand. I certainly would recommend this to anyone with an interest in food and how it affects our health.

By Noor u S K

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Feb 25, 2019

It was very informative course. It could have more quizzes and assignments. The way things were explained in the course was quiet interesting. Keep it up!! course. I really like this way of education.

By Flavia L

•

Feb 26, 2017

This course should really be called BASICS of healthy cooking or for people with unhealthy habits. It is very basic! And very based on the US reality! Living in Europe and used to cooking healthy food for my family everyday I have not learned anything new! Very disappointing to see such a basic course being offered by big names as Stanford University.

By Maxim M

•

Feb 8, 2018

Waste of time... Didn't expect this from Stanford...

Nothing useless, theoretical part contains only vague conversations without any scientific data or research outcomes.

And cooking receipts have nothing to do with healthy food at all. Advice to cook fried food with high concentration of glycation endproduct is a shame...

By Alyaa E

•

Jun 22, 2018

It was an amazing course that allowed for me to be much more conscious of what I was eating and pushed me to strive to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Overall, it was very entertaining and informative!

By Victoria I

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Jan 19, 2021

It was an interesting and informative, at a basis level, course. The information is easy to understand and the new gained knowledges tend to remain in your memory, due to short and interactive videos.

By giovanni

•

Feb 6, 2018

A diet documentary for americans with really basic (and obvious?) suggestions.

Not what I expect from Coursera.

By Sahithi S

•

Aug 7, 2020

I really enjoyed doing the course, Very elaborate and informative course. Things are simplified so much that anybody can understand the basics of nutrition which helps in making the wise food choices.

By Aston H

•

Mar 14, 2017

Very informative and digestible information (pun intended). This course really makes you feel knowledgable about what you put into your body. Highly suggest this course for basic guides on nutrition.

By Rohith D

•

Oct 26, 2019

It is not Science or fact based at all.

It is not a scientifically rigours course on "food and nutrition" it gives you an oversight but not really a deep dive in.

It's more like two people just having a conversation. This is not "educational" it's more basic common sense and awareness

It is more geared towards western countries. Most of the problems addressed are specific only to that location. But i think people from the western countries would benefit from this. Others not so much.

By Naim F A I

•

Dec 5, 2020

Foods and us have a relationship, and this course defines that relationship. Personally, this course provides positive experience for me in regards of food, meal preparation, and eating in moderation.

By Jean G

•

Jan 23, 2021

Love how Maya presented the course and I especially love the cooking sessions featuring her cute kids. I am looking forward to reading her book or if she has any YT account featuring more home cooking

By Deleted A

•

Jan 21, 2016

Most of the information in this course is common sense. It may be relevant for someone with very limited knowledge about food, but for anyone who is moderately informed and interested in food, there is not much to learn here.

By Kasparas V

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Feb 19, 2018

Very basic knowledge, but I'm just evaluating it from the information point of view. Maybe I was just expecting something deeper and more informative from Stanford.

By Rajesh K V

•

May 21, 2019

This course was highly informative, educative and eye opener. I enjoyed it and got highly benefitted from it.

By Cook W M C S M

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Mar 16, 2019

Very much enjoyed. Madam Maya Adam ,a loveable person. She teaches so nicely. Content matter is too much informative. Learned a lot in this course. Would luv to join other courses of food and nutrition by Stanford. Thanks

By Georgios P

•

Jun 4, 2019

Really don't understand, what this course has to do with Stanford.

Coursera and Stanford should apply filters to prevent such courses of being offered online in an academic context. Offering is completely misleading.

By Marilyn N

•

Feb 26, 2019

A great intro course on eating healthy and why it's important. Teaches you how to determine what "real food" is, what macro-nutrients are and which ones to avoid, and how to read nutrition labels. Ends with a section on healthy recipes and good reference sources to look at for more information. Overall, a great introduction for those who are new to or don't know much about this topic!

By Cauan N

•

May 14, 2021

Really good as an introductory guide to general human nutrition. Gives great insights on cooking, planning meals and health diet habits. It's a rather short course with actually impactful information.

By Natalie M

•

Sep 20, 2016

I am disappointed, from a place like Stanford I was expecting a real course in nutrition.

This course doesn't teach anything. It's a mere half an hour a week of advice we should all already know, if we are interested in nutrition.

I am quitting this course, unfortunately it's a waste of time.

By Sergey V

•

Jul 31, 2016

this is the most beautiful thing i have ever experienced about food and health

Before this introductory course i had almost total dislike to the theme because of the incredibly high percent of low-quality sources - both human and media - both in informational (logical) and emotional (presentational) parts.

Some highlights:

0: It is a Scientific approach

1. It considers sustainable goals

2. It considers transitions to the goals - very important part which is often omitted

3. It is does not confront with other models (like vegetarian) - this is the first sign of science (but not otherwise: a lot of people have this way of thinking: "science - corporations - just for money - bad for health" - it is obviously logically incorrect way of thinking but wide-spread)

4. It suggest improvements for any income

5. It considers emotional aspects of the solution (this disproves another wide-spread logical error in the area: "science in food - just nutrients - no emotions". For those who is trying to do the critical thinking this error is obvious as well - science is about objective knowledge about the real world - and there is enormous science knowledge about areas which study emotions, in this course the knowledge is gracefully used to transfer the information and construct sustainable goals and transitions).

6. To have a bit of emotions in the last point: it is a very harmonious base knowledge about food and health.

By Deleted A

•

May 18, 2019

I love this course. It teaches you the basis on healthy eating and it is really easy to understand.

Since I took it, I've been able to change the way I see food and starting eating clean and healthier. I do believe everyone should take a course about nutrition.