Year
2024Credit points
5Campus offering
Prerequisites
UNMC595 Foods for Special Diets in Practice - Theory or submission of a statement to demonstrate evidence of prior learning equivalent to UNMC595 Foods for Special Diets in Practice - Theory Microcredential.
Incompatible
NUTR504 Foods for Special Diets in Practice
Unit rationale, description and aim
Special diets are not a new phenomenon yet in recent years the perceived and real need for foods for special diets has increased dramatically. Through a contemporary analysis of the place of special diets within our modern foodscape, this microcredential builds on UNMC595 Food for Special Diets in Practice - Theory and facilitates students’ application of evidence-based diets for the maintenance of health and treatment of disease. Students will be expected to apply advanced food/ingredient and menu knowledge, critical understanding of special diet food regulations and food service standards and utilise their highly advanced food planning, preparation, and cooking skills to prepare a range of foods to meet the requirements of specific diets.
This microcredential aims to assist students to use practical elements of contemporary diets to support meaningful messages and communicate this to audiences in highly engaging and influential formats.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Illustrate expert planning, preparation, and cooking techniques through the preparation and presentation of a range of foods/meals for special diets |
| LO2 | Practically apply the scientific evidence related to foods and diets designed for specific purposes while demonstrating highly efficient and collaborative workflow planning and operation in a commercial kitchen environment |
| LO3 | Present evidence-based practical examples of foods for special diets in highly meaningful engaging formats for a range of audiences |
Content
Topics will include:
Practical bases of modified texture, energy and protein diets and foods
Practical bases of modified macronutrient diets and foods, limited examples provided below
Gluten-free
Wheat-free
Modified lactose
Modified fibre
Low, no-carbohydrate
Low, no sugar
Modified sweetener
Modified fat
Low FODMAPs
Vegetarian and veganism
Carbohydrate counting
Portion control
Ketogenic diet
Paleo diet
Practical bases of modified micronutrient/other bioactive components of diets and foods, limited examples below
Sodium
Antioxidants
Practical based of modified other
Specific food inclusions or exclusions
Allergens and intolerances
Elimination Diets
Menu planning principles for pregnancy and aged care
Advanced food preparation and cooking techniques
Workflow planning
Practical food and nutrition writing for multimedia
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The microcredential content will be completed over a 2-week intensive, or equivalent teaching period (e.g. over a series of weekends according to demand and resources). Where delivered in the 2-week mode, this will be delivered concurrently with an undergraduate advanced culinary science microcredential in the Master of Dietetic Practice and Graduate Certificate in Culinary Nutrition Science. The microcredential begins by building on the theoretical knowledge gained in UNMC95 Food for Special Diets in Practice - Theory and assists students apply their learning through practical skills development in the kitchen and communication of outputs through meaningful messaging of foods for special diets.
The approaches used in this microcredential have a constructively aligned developmental sequence designed to progressively, and logically, support students learning in ways that maximise the perceived (and actual) relevance and value of each activity. It is expected to engender high levels of engagement, efficiency, and effectiveness in students’ study behaviours, and to maximise their learning achievements. This strategy and approaches will allow students to meet the aim and learning outcomes of the microcredential. Learning and teaching approaches will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively in learning activities.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In this microcredential, two assessment tasks are sequenced to progressively support students learning in alignment with the learning and teaching strategy.
The first assessment task requires students to demonstrate practical application of the knowledge and skills required to prepare foods for special diets that meet regulatory requirements (where appropriate). This task provides students with practical-by-practical assessment and feedback on their ability to prepare and cook specific foods/meals.
The second assessment task allows students to bring together their theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills of food for special diets and communication for popular media in a written task that requires critical writing skills pitched at diverse audiences.
Combined, these assessment tasks will allow microcredential coordinators to assess students’ demonstration of the learning outcomes.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Practical assessment: Enables students to demonstrate their develop of advanced culinary skills for special diets and efficient work practice in a commercial kitchen environment | 40% | LO1, LO2 |
Written assessment task: Enables students to create elements in a media portfolio suitable for publication across popular media formats that uses scientific and practical evidence to refute/support a contemporary diet approach | 60% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Representative texts and references
Agency for Clinical Innovation. (2011). Therapeutic Diet Specifications: For Adult Inpatients. Retrieved from https://www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/160557/ACI_AdultDietSpecs-march2017.pdf Note: this document is under constant revision and updates must be retrieved from https://www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/nutrition/nutrition-food-in-hospitals/nutrition-standards-diets
Chendard, C.A., Rubenstein, L.M. Snetselaar, L.G. & Wahls, T. L. (2019). Nutrient Composition Comparison between a Modified Paleolithic Diet for Multiple Sclerosis and the Recommended Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern. Nutrients, 11(3), 537, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030537
Coeliac Australia. (2023). Food Service. Retrieved from https://coeliac.org.au/for-business/resources/
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ). 2019. Food Standards Code. Retrieved from http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx
Healthy Eating Advisory Service. Healthy Choices Guidelines: http://heas.health.vic.gov.au/healthy-choices/guidelines
History of Nutritional Science – in 4 parts
Carpenter, K. J. (2003). A Short History of Nutritional Science: Part I (1785-1885). The Journal of Nutrition, 133(3), 638-45, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.3.638
Carpenter, K. J. (2003). A Short History of Nutritional Science: Part 2 (1885-1912). The Journal of Nutrition, 133(4), 975-84, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.4.975
Carpenter, K. J. (2003). A Short History of Nutritional Science: Part 3 (1912-1944). The Journal of Nutrition, 133(10), 3023-32, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.10.3023
Carpenter, K. J. (2003). A Short History of Nutritional Science: Part 4 (1945-1985). The Journal of Nutrition, 133(11), 3331-42, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/133.11.3331
Menu Planning Guidelines for Long Day care http://heas.health.vic.gov.au/early-childhood-services/menu-planning/long-day-care/guidelines
Mozaffarian, D., Rosenberg, I. & Uauy, R. (2018). History of modern nutrition science—implications for current research, dietary guidelines, and food policy. BMJ, 361:k2392, doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2392