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

4.7
stars
30,769 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

PE

Oct 18, 2021

This course taught me a lot about the components of food! Processed and non-processed food which was the best food of all. I will be happy to spread this healthy dietary ways to my family and friends!

VI

Jan 18, 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.

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201 - 225 of 8,813 Reviews for Stanford Introduction to Food and Health

By Maimouna J R

Jun 26, 2021

I would like to thank Ms. Maya Adams and Mr. Michael Pollan for helping us enrich our knowledge about Food and Nutrition. I would also like to thank Coursera and Stanford University for providing me an opportunity to expand my knowledge on a very essential topic. This course has taught me about how to meal plan wisely and consciously rather than looking out for convenience with fast food stuffs. I will surely try to apply all the information gained from this course into my real life and follow it throughout.

Thank you once again

By Seulgi L

May 26, 2020

I got to be more excited in cooking. I learned what ingredients to begin in order to start cooking which were onions and olive oils. I have started to buy onions whenever I go grocery shopping and trying different dishes with them. I also learned trans-fat is worse for my health compared to meat which was a surprise. The ingredients used in the dishes introduced at the end seems not easy to get from where I live but I think I can modify them little bit and try some of them as well. Thank you so much for preparing this course!

By Ivana R

Mar 22, 2017

Great introduction for people who eat a lot of processed foods and would like to change it. I liked the simple language, rather than difficult breakdowns of chemical compounds and processes that I encountered in different course. I believe this will help many people understand the reason why they feel bad in a simple, understandable way. I cook at home every day. For me it's the best way how to stay healthy and know what's in my food. This course was right on track with my believes and I greatly enjoyed it! Thank you so much!

By asfaari r

Jun 24, 2017

Previously, I just want to eat and cook more healthy food but did not know the details regarding it. I just googled what healthy breakfast that I should eat, what fruits that is best for breakfast, etc. Founding this excellent course, I get a detail knowledge about healthy food, processed food, glycemic index (and I love this phrase), how to read the nutrition labels, and many more new knowledge. Learning from this course make me want to change some bad dietary habit that I have right now. Thank you very much Miss. Maya :)

By Christopher A

Feb 24, 2016

It fit almost exactly what I was looking for in the course. Simple high level guidance about food, nutrition and communicating it in terms of the foods we would buy in a grocery and the portioning and composition of an ideal plate of food. Very digestable videos broken up to keep interest. One thing that might have been nice was delving deeper or providing references with more sources of each type of macronutrient so you could walk away from the course and just begin mix and matching. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

By Amanda A

Jun 7, 2017

Very useful! It's neat to see things like this on Coursera in addition to the more traditional subjects of study. I hope someday we will see thing like this in classrooms for young children, since eating properly is something so many people don't naturally learn from their families anymore. We may or may not ever use a given traditional academic subject after we graduate, but eating is something all of us do for the rest of our lives. This should be a core subject in all programs, alongside math/science/reading/writing.

By Valda W B

May 26, 2020

My experience has been very satisfying. Thank you Dr. Adams for your presentation and for the way you and your guest speaker, Michael Pollan have explained and tied these concepts to everyday life. As a certified Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle coach, I want to apply what I have learned to supplement my presentations to people that are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Self-Isolation due to the pandemic and time well spent. Thank you very much.

Valda L. Wisdom Brown, MSA

By Chibuzo C C

Aug 28, 2020

In a world that is increasingly suffering from diet-related diseases, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health provides a rich and insightful knowledge of the relationship between foods we eat, the impart on our health and how to eat better. The language of instruction is clear and easy to follow, the interviews in-between offers important perspective and the cooking experience towards the end make this course a necessity for any individual or family that desires to make food decisions that supports their health.

By MIRELLA L Q S

Jun 2, 2020

Es la primera vez que llevo un curso de nutrición , aunque en realidad la carrera que actualmente llevo en la universidad de mi país de de negocios internacionales. siempre me ha gustado mucho el mundo de la salud, al comienzo quise estudiar psicología o nutrición pero por motivos económicos no se puedo por ahora pero pienso lograd mi objetivo de aprender y estudiarlo ya que también estoy muy metida en el mundo de la comida saludable. Agradezco esta iniciativa de ayudar por medio de cursos libres. ¡Muchas gracias!

By Sayali T

Feb 12, 2017

I found this course amazingly helpful and informative about the various kinds of foods we eat. Different facts and tricks and checks are listed out here to make sure that you stay healthy and fit. This course makes me want to cook more and not regard cooking as a tedious activity anymore. It is effectively explained by professors Maya Adams and Micheal Pollen. They are passionate about food and the need for everyone to be healthy. This is an excellent course and I would recommend for everyone to take this course.

By Grace L L

Sep 22, 2019

I like the course overall arrangement (the contents, the lecturer, the vedio..) in view of reading time and the digestion of useful food information. Though the program itself may not be all new to me, definitely an excellent reminder, reinforcement to exceed my expectation to improve the family eating behaviours. I enjoy learning all the practical tips given in the courses, easy to apply to daily life and I already exercised the key eating principals since day-(1) I joined the course. Thank you very much.

By Tim B

Jun 12, 2020

This is a very accessible, instructive course that everyone who has never thought about the way they eat or the foods they buy should be taking. It is the kind of 'grandma' knowledge + scientific background that is useful to all. The course format made very easy to engage with the content in a way that suited me, and I think I got valuable lessons out of this.

Since it is also a short course, it will only take a small bit of your time; there is little reason not to do it, time-wise. Definitely worth your while.

By Cecilia C

Nov 1, 2019

I loved this course because the information given was of easy access and understanding. Everybody can feel related to a situation of not paying attention to our diet. I love the recipes also!

I want to share the videos with my friends and family who I know are struggling with their health because of poor food decisions. I wish that everybody could understand the imperative of having a healthy and delicious diet and also to have access to information and more and better food options. Thank you for this course!

By Ashley R

Jan 18, 2016

I love this so much, and I think everyone should watch these videos. This is a work of art really. There is so much useful, globally applicable information packed into a concise, interesting, and credible collection. I love that there are scientific explanations and that the chemistry is shown. I also love how understandable it is to the lay-person, and how there are so many sensible pieces of advice that I feel the need to take and run with. Thank you for this; I will be passing this along to everyone I know.

By Eunice R

Jun 18, 2021

I enjoyed this course. I am pre-diabetic and have been told by my physician that losing weight will help me control my blood sugar. This course is informational and very easy to follow. I have gained a lot of valuable insight into what I can do to improve my nutritional health. I am not a big fan of using medicine for all of our ills. Therefore, I am happy to have taken this course and I know it will be a useful catalyst in helping me improve my journey into improving my health as well as my families health.

By Mauro G M

Oct 31, 2021

El curso es muy buena, se aprende a valorar a las comidas por su valor nutricional.

Lo más importante en la alimentación es aprender a balancear los nutrientes de las comidas,

En cada plato debe predominar el 50% comidas vivas (frutas y vegetales, el 25% de carbohidratos y el otro 25% de proteínas. La nutrición es según el trabajo desempeñado, Un deportista debe consumir nutrientes con mucha energía, Un profesional de la salud más comida viva y un obrero de la construcción civil, más carbohidratos.

By Deleted A

Jan 24, 2017

Should be required for everyone, even if you think you already eat healthily! Essential and up-to-date information about food and health is presented in an extremely clear and engaging manner. The quizzes are exceptional and you'll know you learned a lot when you are not only able to find the right answer, but correct the wrong answers in your head. Thank you so much for creating this course, I truly hope it helps change the world's eating behaviors and eliminates our population's chronic health crisis.

By Julian M

Oct 22, 2023

The course and the didactics used are excellent, I believe that the path of nutrition already goes beyond the mere implementation of a nutritional plan, but rather calls us to begin teaching people how to eat, what foods to choose, how to think about the food. . . Not only in quantity but in its quality. This is no longer an objective, it is a necessity. It really helps a lot to continue training so we can give the best to our students and patients! Greetings to all Stanford colleagues. Thank you all.

By Samar A A M

Sep 28, 2020

I have completely enjoyed that course .. that seems to be very beneficial to me and overall to my country's culture about nutrition facts and health issues ,, that encourages me greatly to change our thinking of food and eating habits ,, moreover it helps me to focus and learn more about nutrition and health with your online courses ,, thank you so much 😍

Finally I wished if you let me to move on and finish that course and will be very grateful if you could allow me to certification.. thanks overall

By Arianny R d C P

Jul 25, 2019

Sou muito grata por ter recebido a bolsa e ter conseguido concluir esse curso que já me engrandece e que certamente me ajudará em breve levar tal conhecimento para os meus pacientes e conhecidos. Obrigada equipe! Continuem proporcionando aprendizado e enriquecendo ainda mais essa plataforma. Gostaria de sugerir mais cursos de especialização na área da nutrição, acho que seria muito bom se tivesse pós graduação e mestrado com assuntos mais específicos para essa área. Obrigada mais uma vez, até breve.

By Desiree N B

May 13, 2020

Great class. Videos were great and I like that there is a visual (video) provided along side the notes.

I am a vegetarian and have learned a lot about nutrition and healthy eating in my personal quest to overcome some health conditions. In this course, I learned a little more about nutrition, macro nutrients, nutrient density, quality of foods, portion sizes and practical tips when food shopping, etc. "Eat food (real food). Not too much. Mostly Plants" is simple and sound guidance for anyone.

By Anu A

Dec 19, 2018

This is a wonderful intro to healthy eating, including the science behind foods and the psychology behind food advertising. I would highly recommend this to any teenager going off to college or really anyone who is learning how to cook or lose weight. I appreciate the nice graphics and the clear explanations. Even though I've taken other food and health courses before, I still learned some things with this class and it was so short/concise that it was worth it. Thank you, Dr. Adam and Mr. Pollan!

By Candice V

Jul 17, 2019

I really enjoyed this course and the supplemental videos, recipes, and resources at the end (Week 5). A lot of it was a refresher for me, but a helpful motivator to get back on track in certain areas of my family's nutritional life such as breakfast. My husband handles breakfast with boxed cereals, boxed pancakes, and bacon. I now have some motivation to make tweaks and implement new recipes (such as the blender pancakes) to help steer this meal in a healthier direction. Thank you Dr. Adam!

By Ana P

May 2, 2018

Hello, i am a nanny and i loved this course, because makes me understand how much important cooking could be in our lives. I would love to know more. Unfortunately i have finished my weeks in few days because i was too interested in it and i didn't have time to take notes . I would love to have the possibility to have the text regarding all of the videos so that i can keep them and review them whenever i feel like i need a motivation because i can say it LOUD: this course motivated me soo much!

By DINESH S S

Feb 28, 2021

A EXCELLENT DYNAMIC COURSE for Clearing CONCEPTs .

The Most CLARITY is DIETARY CARBOHYDRATES, DIETARY PROTEINS, DIETARY FATS and GLYCEMIC INDEX of FOOD and NUTRIENT DENSITY of FOOD = Amount of Nutritional Value ÷ Energy Content of the Food .

We need to be Focussing Moderation and Focus on PLANT PROTEIN DIET and Focus on Home Made Food for Long Term Health and WEIGHT MANAGEMENT.

Very Effective Course for CREATING AWARENESS related to OBESITY PANDEMIC .

Thanks

Dinesh Suresh Shetye