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

4.7
stars
32,352 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

CS

Aug 26, 2019

Very informative and useful. I'm from India and I look forward to study more about nutritional values of different foods. This course gave me a head-start and information to pursue my goal. Thank You!

NI

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.

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9051 - 9075 of 9,218 Reviews for Stanford Introduction to Food and Health

By Claudia B

•

Apr 30, 2020

I’m studying nutrition from a while now and I’m following who for me are the bests doctors and there are many info that are not exactly what I aspected... I’m more towards the vegan diet for the health benefits first but not only and seeing what you do advise to eat make me wander if there are some other interests apart from health that bring you to create a course structured like it is..

I watched only the first recipe about crepes just because I thought was part of the course and I would never personally give that to my kids! Eggs, milk, sugar, butter 😱😱😱

Anyway, I will not spend the money for the certificate only to be able to say that I studied a Stanford’s course..... and I will probably not advise to anyone this course unlikely.

I just think that we have to know better and dr.Dean Ornish, Micheal Gregor, Neal Bernard and many more demonstrated that cure, prevention and reversing diseases is possible with a low fat vegan diet so I don’t understand why at the begin of the course you mention that the science is not sure yet about the best diet yet......... there are no doubts about what is the best, but often is not comfortable for the single person and for sure isn’t for the big industry!

By Aeryn K

•

Jun 5, 2016

The very first lesson implies that sufficient quantities of micronutrients can't be obtained from a diet high in animal-based proteins and fats. In reality, organ meats and egg yolks are higher in micronutrients than many fruits and vegetables, and only small amounts of dark-colored veggies and fruits are required to balance a diet that already contains a variety of meats (as far as both species and cut). The body is also better able to synthesize glucose (or utilize ketones instead of glucose to fuel cell function) than to synthesize amino acids, which are more easily obtained in the correct amounts from animal sources. Plant-based diets work for some people, but if blood sugar levels, chronic inflammation and/or amino acid intake are issues that an individual needs to take into careful consideration, a high-fat, low-carb, diet with a variety of animal products is more likely to meet their needs.

By Carmen C

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Mar 6, 2018

If you know literally NOTHING about nutrition this is a good place to start, if you however have any sort of understanding of fats, protein and carbs, even the knowledge of what they are, on a broad scale, then you probably already know more than this course will teach you.

It was a good reminder of healthy eating nonetheless.

The recipes in the last module were good, but as someone who doesn't care much for sweet stuff it left me kinda bummed. I wished there were more main meal recipes rather than recipes to cook all your favorite desserts in a gluten free way. I know they had to plug Grokker and get that shameless self-promotion, I am not opposed to that, but they could have chosen more diverse recipes.

If you are trying to get people to eat healthier you should give them something quick and easy, not a recipe for pancakes that takes 4 different kinds of flours.

By Hansel B

•

Mar 12, 2023

This is really just an introduction. It's extremely short with no details on why the nutrients are important, I expected more from a school of medicine. I gave up on the class after the condescending "don't cut yourself with the knife !" and after the teacher said that one of the essential items to always have in the kitchen is oil, garlic (...) and SUGAR ! Isn't the point of having a health class to avoid that white refined sugar she's talking about ? What about spices ?? I don't know if they talk about it in the cooking workshop but I'm not interested in watching further.

By Anna J

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Jun 20, 2017

I live in the Czech republic (central Europe) and I didn't learn anything new about nutrition in this course. I know it all, from my mother and my grandmother and, well, we all know it should by like this, not saying it IS like this :-) but for me this course was very interesting as a "sociological research". Are there really people who don't know that home cooking is healthier than highly processed fast food? Are there people who don't know how important vegetable is? Very often I was just thinking "are you kidding me or is this the real life in the US?"

By Jorge G

•

Aug 16, 2024

This is not a course on nutrition. No actual information on the science behind nutrition, i.e. how our body processes nutrients, how nutrients interact, etc. beyond 1 video explaining how many calories per gram there are in food relative to which macro they come from. This is a course on how to lose weight and it is particularly and very clearly directed to a North American audience. If the course was labelled as "how to healthily lose weight in America", then perhaps my rating would be higher, but as it stands, it is very misleading.

By saylee

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Jul 22, 2021

Very Generic course. Not so impressive. The only interesting part was about reading and understanding the labels on the packaged food items correctly, and the quiz which is thoughtfully created. The recipes demonstrated at the end of the course, look very much heavy with rich ingredients. The recipes should be chosen which are more organic, simple and without much of the preparation or efforts. The reference book list seems to be interesting and worth giving a try.

By Trampa E

•

Sep 15, 2022

I apologize for the poor review but having grown up in Greece, home cooked meals, fruits and fresh vegetables are in our daily diet since we are born. So, i felt like there are only very few things I could keep from this course. I understand that living in modern and highly consuming societies in busy times, basic things are forgotten and we should revise them. But, I feel that this course referes more to USA region eating habits, probably...?

By aliya b

•

Oct 17, 2017

Great, but takes much more time, than could be.

It would be the same to find 20-min recording of a good educational TV-channel programme.

Stanford in title doesn't refer to any academical sense, but to time relevance and confidence (and activity of Stanford food policy institute).

Has regional specifics (fats, obesity, how to use (keep in hand) knife).

Recommend only if you like to take a brake learning engineering or linear models on coursera.

By Irene S

•

Aug 25, 2017

Very well made, but waaaaay too easy, not enough information and more of a first session at your nutritionist without the personalised information - for someone who has never ever showed an interest in nutrition before. Especially the choice as Michael Pollan as the only "expert" invited by the main host to join is very questionable. I would have liked to have more detailed information and real experts of nutrition and not writing.

By Sylvie C

•

Nov 3, 2017

This is, indeed, a very basic, introductory course. There are the usual misconceptions, e.g. low-fat is good, saturated fats are bad, and the gluten-free recipe made me laugh. This is coming from someone who has been on a 100% gluten-free diet, including what I put on my skin.

If you, like me, have been doing a Paleo, Whole Food or AIP diet and know that animal fats are actually good for you, this course will be a waste of time.

By Ashu M G S

•

Jan 1, 2023

I don't agree with the advice that it's fine to eat some unhealthy food including animal products. Instead you should be telling people that it's best to eat no unhealthy food and maintain a vegan diet, but any improvements toward eliminating unhealthy food are good.

I don't agree with the advice on eating fish and eggs. I don't agree with showing how to cook unhealthy food like chicken. No animal products are healthy.

By Ciaran M

•

Jan 29, 2021

I expected the course to be based on findings from science and research; to hear from a nutritionist or a medical doctor with a background in nutrition. Instead much of the material seems to be based on the opinion of a professor of journalism, a man who believes that it is "very hard to get fat on home-cooked food." I remained to the end, and so did my disappointment.

By Edith V

•

Jan 11, 2019

The course is very clear, has really good information, in general everything was great until I finished the week 4, then the next day I wanted to follow with week 5 "cooking workshop" but I couldn't because the course was labeled as "finished" and now I cannot see the cooking videos, I can only see the videos for week 1 and the others are not available.

By Joris H

•

Apr 13, 2023

I don't really see why meat and dairy is still considered as good for your health in a diet. To have the best health I think you should consider a completely plant based diet. Meats have all kinds of antibiotics inside, the same as dairy. Also, meats are just a middle person. A cow gets big by eating plant based.

By HM

•

Feb 23, 2016

This is less of a university level course and more of a long infomercial for Michael Pollen books with a cooking show at the end.

There is no interviews with nutritionists or scientists. In fact, there really isn't much here in the way of science at all.

The cooking videos are fun with some good recipes.

By Deniz Ö

•

Mar 27, 2017

It is a kind of introduction course as it was mentioned on course info, however it is very basic.

If there would be follow up courses about the same topic it is a good start, otherwise that is not a learning based lecture.

Thank you for your understanding.

Deniz Ozalp

By Andy C

•

May 4, 2020

While this is a helpful class to those learning the basics of how food affects your health, it does little to expand on the science behind these things. It seemed more like an infomercial for healthy eating than a class to understand how food affects your health.

By A

•

Sep 5, 2018

Aside from the recipes presented in Week 5, the course is very general and in my opinion does not teach valuable information about nutrition.

The advices that were given concerning choices in nutrition are very basic and in my opinion they are common knowledge.

By Susana C M

•

May 9, 2017

Weak courses, information very obvious. You don´t even need to watch the videos to pass the assignments. Maybe American lifestyle is not so healthy, but I thought it was a waste of time and money. It is indeed just an introduction. I wouldn't recommend it

By Deleted A

•

Jan 29, 2018

In my opinion this course not help me as a doctor to know about diet,calories,regems,the calories of each ingredient i find this information is simple and every one can recognize it i want more medical information that help me to work in nourishment

By Stanislav T

•

Feb 2, 2023

Good quality of videos/explanations. BUT, it's not a real course -- it's got not enough academic information, and too much of non-scientific/personal opinions (a journalist thoughts). Would definitely not entoll in this if I need a college course.

By Lisa v V

•

Feb 21, 2017

Useful information about nutrition, I would've loved to learn more about that. The part about home-cooking and how to reduce the health risks when cutting an onion where too superficial and unnecessary for me.

By سهام م

•

Aug 28, 2023

i am a poor egyption and i need this witness to support me in life

i am a poor egyption and i need this witness to support me in life

m the one who fully supports my familyi am the suppoone who fully

By Nadine E

•

Aug 7, 2016

This is a very basic course on food and nutrition. I would consider the majority of the content to be common sense. I would not recommend it if you already have an interest or general knowledge of nu