About Nutrition Crash Course

A clear starting point

Nutrition Crash Course is a free educational website for beginners around the world. You do not need a science background to explore what nutrients are, what calories measure or how food labels work.

We focus on understanding, not prescribing a diet. The course builds from everyday vocabulary to practical examples, with short quizzes you can revisit at your own pace.

Evidence before certainty

Our source standards prioritise public-health authorities and published food-composition data. Lessons link to their sources so you can read the original guidance and see its context.

• General guidance: sources include the WHO, NHS, UK Government, EFSA, FDA and NIH. Each serves a different purpose and audience.
• Food values: the calculator uses only USDA FoodData Central. You choose a matching entry and can inspect its source; a missing value is not treated as a known zero.
• Learning examples: fictional labels and simplified calculations are explicitly labelled. They are not measurements of a real food.
• Publication: planned articles stay unpublished until their content and nutrition figures are checked. We do not fill gaps with invented data or citations.

One site, an international audience

Food-label rules, dietary guidelines and available products differ between countries. We identify country-specific examples, including the UK's Eatwell Guide and the US FoodData Central database, rather than presenting them as universal rules.

For local guidance, consult your country's health authority. For a specific packaged food, its own label may be more relevant than a general database entry.

Education, not personal advice

This site does not diagnose conditions, recommend treatment or set personal calorie targets. General lessons cannot account for your health, medical history or individual needs. A doctor, registered dietitian or another qualified healthcare professional can help with questions specific to you.

Learn without an account

All seven lessons are free to read. Lesson completion is saved in your browser on this device, not in a site account. Clearing browser storage removes that progress.