14 Best Nutrition Online Courses & Certifications [Updated March 2023]

Best Online Nutrition Courses, Certifications & Classes

 

Despite the fact that we have studied the importance of food, nutrition and healthy diets since our childhood, it still is the most overlooked phenomenon in our lives today. We know about it but still we do the opposite of what is recommended. We are living in an era where the dangers of obesity, heart attacks, strokes and Type-2 diabetes are only increasing. Junk food and giving into cravings have become a part of our life today. Cheat days have become increasingly common and our lives lethargic. The book Discipline Equals Freedom by a former US Marine Jocko Willink, substantially covers the topic of food and nutrition in an eye opening way.

 

However, it is not enough. You need to understand about food and nutrition from a scientific perspective too, to achieve better outcomes. Thus, we here at TrumpLearning have curated this list of the 14 best online nutrition courses to help you study the topic in depth. So, let’s cut to the chase and begin!

 

14 Best Online Nutrition Courses & Certifications

  1. WageningenX's Nutrition and Disease Professional Certificate [EdX]
  2. Infant Nutrition: From Breastfeeding to Baby's First Solids By Deakin University [Future Learn]
  3. Stanford Introduction to Food and Health [Coursera]
  4. Causes of Human Disease: Nutrition and Environment By University of Leeds [Future Learn]
  5. Nutrition, Exercise and Sports [EdX]
  6. Child Nutrition and Cooking [Coursera]
  7. 6-Week Plan For Healthy Eating [Harvard]
  8. Causes of Human Disease By University of Leeds [Future Learn]
  9. Nutrition Masterclass: Build Your Perfect Diet & Meal Plan [Udemy]
  10. WageningenX's Food, Nutrition and Health Professional Certificate [EdX]
  11. Internationally Accredited Diploma Certificate in Nutrition [Udemy]
  12. Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy [Coursera]
  13. Nutrition and Health: Food Risks [EdX]
  14. Food as Medicine: Food, Exercise and the Gut By Monash University [Future Learn]
 WageningenX's Nutrition and Disease Professional Certificate [EdX]

 

This is a certificate program consisting of two nutrition online courses that will help you learn about the influence of nutrition on diseases. You will get to know about the role of diet in health and how to make conscious healthy choices that will benefit your health in the long run. The nutrition online courses can be taken by all kinds of people, i.e. medical professionals, nutritionists, physiotherapists, sports coaches or anybody having a general interest in learning things.

 

The certificate program is made up of two main nutrition online courses:

Nutrition and Cancer

As the name suggests, this nutrition online certification course explores the role of diet and nutrition in order to save yourself from dangerous diseases like cancer. This is a 5-week intermediate level nutrition online training course where you will study the occurrence and progression of cancer and how you can prevent it. Also, in this nutrition online training course not only will you study about the lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer, but study in detail the various types of cancer. You should devote around 6-8 hours per week to this course.

 

A few important topics that you will study in this certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Evidence-base for dietary guidelines
  • Nutrition and cancer development
  • Interaction between nutrition and genes
  • Clear and correct communication

Nutrition, Heart Disease and Diabetes

While the above holistic nutrition course online was about the relation between nutrition and cancer, here we replace cancer with cardiovascular diseases and study about them. A little portion of the nutrition online certification course is also devoted to diabetes and our circulatory system. We will also study about a lot of related factors like blood pressure, blood cholesterol and obesity. The nutrition online training course shouldn’t take you more than 5 weeks to complete if you devote around 6-8 hours per week.

 

A few major topics covered in the certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Cardiometabolic Disease Risk
  • Role of macronutrient and food intake
  • Pathophysiology
  • Nutritional Strategies

 


Infant Nutrition: From Breastfeeding to Baby's First Solids By Deakin University [Future Learn]

 

This 2-week nutrition online certification course offered by the Deakin University emphasizes on the importance of early nutrition for a child’s health, wellbeing and development. You are suggested to devote at least 3 hours per week to it in order to complete it in time and learn what exactly you need to feed your child especially in the first 12 months after birth. You will learn about the various important principles associated with child nutrition and how can you apply them in an easy way. Not only will you learn about what to give them, but also how much to give them. Other topics like weaning a baby, feeding a fussy child and transforming from milk to mushy stuff has also been discussed in great detail.

 

A few important things that you will learn from these nutrition online classes are:
  • Breastfeeding
  • Infants’ nutritional requirements
  • Global nutritional guidelines
  • What foods babies need
  • How often to feed babies
  • When to introduce solid foods

 

Reviews by student:
It was my first online course and I absolutely happy. The information given us was concise and puntual. It has a lot of resources and videos which make learning easy and fun. I would choose another course with Deakin University
Linda C.

 


Stanford Introduction to Food and Health [Coursera]

 

This is a beginner level nutrition online certification course offered by Stanford University that will help you explore innovative strategies related to healthy eating. The course will guide you towards an optimal  way of healthy eating. Rather than keeping you tied down to reductionist discussions related to nutrients it takes you to practical discussions about real food and the environment in which we consume such food. Once you are done with the contents of these nutrition online classes, you will have a clear idea as to which foods support your health and which foods oppose it. The online nutrition course contents also encourages you to return to simple home cooking. You should be able to complete the course in around 5 hours.

 

Important lessons covered in the online nutrition course are:
  • Background on Food & Nutrients
  • Contemporary Trends in Eating
  • Future Directions in Health
  • Cooking Workshop
  • Recommended Optional Resources
  • Animal & Plant-based Proteins

 

Reviews by student:
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!
AE

 


Causes of Human Disease: Nutrition and Environment By University of Leeds [Future Learn]

 

This 2-week nutrition online certification course by the University of Leeds helps us to explore the things we eat and how various factors present in the environment like toxins, etc. can be the cause of fatal diseases. The certified nutritionist course online guidelines suggest you to devote at least 4 hours per week. Not only will you learn how important nutrition is, but also get insights into the role of our environment. Fascinating concepts like results of lack of nutrition in the human body, contribution of obesity to diseases and pathogens has been explored in an interesting and easy to understand way. Further, how waterborne chemical toxins can harm us has also been discussed. These nutrition online classes can be taken by anybody who is interested in learning it and doesn’t have any prerequisites.

 

A few important topics that you will cover in the holistic nutrition course online are:
  • Importance of vitamins and minerals
  • Protein and Energy Malnutrition
  • Obesity
  • Food toxins and health risk
  • Environmental toxins
  • Cardiovascular diseases

 


Nutrition, Exercise and Sports [EdX]

 

This is an intermediate level nutrition online certification course offered by Wageningen University & Research that will teach you about the role of nutrition in performance and health. Not only will the certified nutritionist course online teach you about how certain nutritional strategies are relevant for your own performance and muscle growth but also about providing expert nutritional advice in case you are a dietician or a physiotherapist. You will be made aware about the nutritional aspects of exercise and sports and you will also learn about the basic concepts of physiology. Later in this holistic nutrition course online you will encounter topics like thermoregulation, micronutrients, supplements and fluid balance. You should take no more than 6 weeks to complete the nutrition online classes course if you go at the suggested pace of 4-6 hours per week.

 

Important topics that you will study in this holistic nutrition course online are:
  • Introduction to Sport Nutrition (Science)
  • Skeletal Muscle, Exercise and Sports
  • Energy and Fluid balance
  • Macronutrients
  • Micronutrients and ergogenic supplements
  • Exercise and Nutrition during ageing

 

Reviews by student:
Well done to the future learn and university of leeds team. The lesson was well orchestrated and in fact was beyond my perception. However, I feel certificates should at least be given without having to pay yet- Maybe with a lower qualification. But in all, it was a great time of learning. Thank you again
Victory O.

 


Child Nutrition and Cooking [Coursera]

 

This is a 10-hour beginner level nutrition online certification course offered by Stanford University that teaches parents about contemporary child nutrition and how the decisions made by them today will impact the health of their children lifelong. Further, you will also study about the health risks associated with childhood obesity. Not only will you get to learn about what constitutes a healthy diet for children but also learn about simple home-cooked delicious meals that will help you and your family understand the value of food prepared at home. The skills learned through these nutrition online courses will not only inspire you to care about the health of your own family, but also of the families around you.

 

Primary topics covered in the certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Why Home Cooking Matters
  • What Constitutes a Balanced Meal?
  • From Supermarket to Dinner Table to School
  • Sustainable Eating
  • Labels, Allergies and Taste
  • The Six Ingredients Every Kitchen Needs

 

Reviews by student:
These courses, from leading institutions all over the world, are only accessible to me through Coursera. I learn something new and fascinating every day.
Dariya K.

 


6-Week Plan For Healthy Eating [Harvard]

 

This is a nutrition online certification course offered by the mighty Harvard Health Publishing themselves where they overhaul your diet and nutrition. It is an introductory level online nutrition course where you will learn about healthy eating and know how you can reduce your risk of dangerous diseases like heart ailments, diabetes, strokes, and even cancer. The information has been presented in a very interesting way using slides, charts, quizzes and fun exercises. It should not take you more than 2 weeks to complete the course if you keep up with the suggested pace of 2-4 hours per week. Enrolment in this online nutrition course will also give you access to various downloadable materials which will motivate you to stay on track.

 

Primary topics covered in the certified nutritionist course online are:
  • A healthy break for lunch
  • A dinner makeover
  • Sensible snacking
  • Keep it going
  • Cooking Kickoff: Recipes for Success
  • What makes a diet healthy?

 


Causes of Human Disease By University of Leeds [Future Learn]

 

This comprehensive 13 week program consisting of 5 nutrition online courses offered by the University Of Leeds will teach you the science behind the cause of human diseases. The nutrition online training course is made up of 5 shorter nutrition online courses and will help you gain 10 credits. Not only will you learn about the various human diseases, but also learn about their types like infectious, cardiovascular, genetic and cancerous. Further, you will also explore the role of social factors, our environment and nutrition in diseases. The 5 nutrition online courses that make up the program can be taken in any order.

 

List of the nutrition online courses that make up this program are:

Understanding Cardiovascular Disease

This nutrition online certification course gives you insight into how the cardiovascular system functions, which will thus give you the ability to identify their causes and symptoms. Further, you will also study about the various management and prevention strategies. Controlling blood pressure to the role of blood sugar in cardiovascular diseases are also some of the other things that you will learn in this certified nutritionist course online.

 

Some of the topics that you will study in this course are:
  • Anatomy of the heart, arteries, and veins
  • Composition of blood
  • Statistical trends in cardiovascular disease
  • Most common risk factors

 

Nutrition and Environment

The second nutrition online certification course in the series explores our diet and how the environment plays a role in diseases. Not only you will learn about the importance of nutrition, but also gain insights into malnutrition, obesity, pathogens, food poisoning and toxins. You will also study about environmental factors like air pollution and its impact on our health.

 

Important concepts covered in the certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Air pollution
  • Contribution of environmental toxins
  • Food toxins
  • Risks to health

 

Understanding Causes of Disease

This nutrition online certification course will guide you through epidemiological methods and the impact of social factors on development. You will get insights into why certain people fall sick more often while others don’t and also learn about analysing the health of a big population. Later down the road you will also get to learn about health inequities that are present around the globe.

 

A few important lessons covered in the certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Structure of a population
  • Distribution of diseases
  • Analytical epidemiology
  • Social determinants of health

Transmitting and Fighting Infection

The fourth nutrition online certification course in the series lays emphasis on the study of pathogens, diseases, their transmission and our immune system. Further, we will also study about the resistance of certain bacteria to antibiotics and infections like MRSA. This is a 2-week holistic nutrition course online where you will get to learn how immunization is a key factor in eradication of diseases.

 

Some of the concepts that you will study in this certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Bacteria, viruses and parasites
  • Challenges of antibiotic resistance
  • Components of the immune system
  • Adaptive immune responses

Exploring Cancer and Genetic Disease

The final nutrition online certification course in the program is all about unravelling of the genetic code. The understanding from this holistic nutrition course online will help you identify why certain families have a history of diseases. Further, you will also gain a deeper understanding of formation and reproduction of cancer cells and DNA structure, alterations. Lastly, you will study about risk factors and mitigation of diseases.

 

A key things that you will encounter in this certified nutritionist course online are:
  • Causes of genetic diseases
  • Genes and chromosomes
  • Chemical structure of DNA
  • Normal cells and cancer cells

 


Nutrition Masterclass: Build Your Perfect Diet & Meal Plan [Udemy]

 

This 4-hour nutrition online certification course with 12-downloadable resources will give you information about a variety of aspects related to nutrition, like dieting, weight loss, muscle growth, meal planning and overall healthy eating. You need not have any prior knowledge about nutrition and diet before enrolling in these nutrition online classes. The course is a step by step guide in setting up your diet and following through it. Not only will this course debunk a lot of common diet myths, but it also will teach about diet trends and immunity. Enrolment in the course will give you access to around 80 lessons and as always, the nutrition online training course has been backed by a Udemy 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

 

Core concepts discussed in the online nutrition course are:
  • Meal planning basics
  • Micronutrients
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Paleo Dieting
  • Is Too Much Protein Bad For You?
  • Correctly Read A Nutrition Label

 

Reviews by student:
This experience is beyond amazing. It's very simple and well explained. For a masterclass I thought it would be almost impossible for me to catch on to the concepts. Felix keep up the good work.
Rasheed Lewis

 


WageningenX's Food, Nutrition and Health Professional Certificate [EdX]

 

This 4-month professional certificate course in food, nutrition and health explores the basic chemical composition of food and how it affects us. The information from this nutritionist course will help you build a more healthy lifestyle. You’ll study some really simple but overlooked concepts like energy homeostasis and regulation of  body weight. Further, you’ll also get insights into how over-nutrition and undernutrition can affect us.

 

The certificate program consists of two main accredited online nutrition courses:

 

Nutrition and Health: Macronutrients and Overnutrition

This is a 9-week nutrition online course where you will study about the basic aspects of nutrition and how it affects human health. Further, you will also explore the health problems which can arise due to over-nutrition. Through the study of 3 macronutrients i.e. carbohydrates, fats and proteins, you'd better understand the functioning of our body and how it processes these macronutrients. You are suggested to devote at least 6-8 hours per week to the holistic nutrition course online.

 

Primary topics covered in this nutrition online course are:
  • Carbohydrates and Health
  • Lipids
  • Basics of dietary protein
  • Weight management

 

Nutrition and Health: Micronutrients and Malnutrition

The second nutrition online course in the series boils down to micronutrients. Starting with  the study of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, the nutrition online training course takes you through some very fascinating concepts like suboptimal nutrition, malnutrition and global hunger. Later down the road you also get to learn how to combat these problems and how you can improve the life of those affected by it. You should be able to finish the nutrition online course in around 7 weeks if you go through the material at the suggested pace of 6-8 hours per week.

 

Some key concepts covered in this holistic nutrition course online are:
  • Water, minerals, trace elements
  • Fat soluble vitamins and health
  • Global burden of micronutrient malnutrition
  • Nutritional Science

 


Internationally Accredited Diploma Certificate in Nutrition [Udemy]

 

This 3-hour beginner level nutrition online classes course with 24 downloadable resources is all about the basics surrounding nutritional science. You are not required to have any prerequisite knowledge about food science and only need a willingness to learn and improve. You’ll start off by learning about what micronutrients are and what roles they play in our bodies. Further, you’ll understand the correct way to see energy balance and simultaneously calculate BMR, TDEE in an easy way. Fiber, Probiotics & Water and their role in our bodies have also been deeply explored in this nutrition online course. Finally, you’ll figure out the top sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats and their daily requirements for optimal nutrition.

 

Major lessons you’ll go through in the online nutrition course are:
  • Macronutrients
  • Micronutrients
  • Common Nutrition Myths
  • Healthy Snack Ideas
  • Nutritional guidelines
  • BMR,TEF,TEA,TDEE

 

Reviews by student:
It gives very good fundamental and basic knowledge, I changed many of my eating habits to more healthy ones now.
Mona Hegazy

 


Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy [Coursera]

 

This is an absolutely free nutrition online classes course offered by LMU university where you will study the latest research findings, international nutritional recommendations and the relation to pregnancy outcomes. This is an intermediate level nutrition online training course of around 10-hours in length where you will study how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle and nutritional habits not only during pregnancy, but much before it to ensure good health of the unborn child. The nutrition online course also provides you recommendations for preconception counselling. The objective of this nutrition online training course is to achieve optimal maternal and fetal outcomes and avoid nutrition-related pregnancy complications as much as possible.

 

Some interesting topics taught in the online nutrition course are:
  • A Healthy Pregnancy Starts Before Conception
  • Nutrition and Lifestyle for a Healthy Pregnancy
  • Nutrition-Related Pregnancy Outcomes
  • Practical Advice for a Healthy Pregnancy
  • Body Weight & Folic Acid
  • Physiological Adaptations

 

Reviews by student:
I'm at the top of my class at the institute, and I'm well-informed of the latest research going on in my field. All of this is possible thanks to Coursera.
Siddhant S.

 


Nutrition and Health: Food Risks [EdX]

 

This is another nutrition online classes course offered by Wageningen University & Research that gives you insights into the various bacterias, pesticides and health hazards that food may carry. It is an introductory level nutrition online course which will arm you with the necessary tools to assess the dangers present in food and quantify them simultaneously. Not only will you get a detailed view of food processing, but also learn about how you can prevent food poisoning and intoxication. The overall objective of the nutrition online training course is to bash a lot of food myths and teach you how to identify and mitigate genuine risks. The holistic nutrition course online will take you around 8 weeks to complete at the suggested pace of 6-8 hours per week.

 

Core concepts covered in the nutrition online course are:
  • Hazards and risks in the modern food chain
  • Interpretation of risks, probability and relevance
  • Microorganisms in food: good, bad and/or a nuisance
  • Qualitative and quantitative principles food safety of chemicals
  • Toxicological risk assessment
  • Microbiological risk assessment

 


Food as Medicine: Food, Exercise and the Gut By Monash University [Future Learn]

 

This is a 2-week nutrition online classes course offered by Monash University where you will get to know the connection between food, exercise and gut. The nutrition online training course has been developed by various healthcare professionals and is a part of the Using Food as Medicine in Healthcare Practice program. You will get to know about the importance of gut health and gain a deeper understanding of the gastrointestinal tract. Complex topics like exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome and nutritional intervention have been explained in a fun and easy to understand way. You are suggested to devote at least 4 hour per week to the nutrition online course in order to finish it in time.

 

Important lessons covered in the nutrition online training course are:
  • Gut training
  • The gastrointestinal tract
  • Exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome
  • Exacerbators
  • Nutritional intervention and dietary modification
  • Prevention and management strategies

 


Conclusion

And now we come to an end of our attempt to guide you to a better lifestyle through our list of the best online nutrition courses. Remember, ancient wisdom suggests that you are what you eat and modern science proves it. You will become what you eat, not literally but figuratively yes! Whatever you are putting into your body today, shapes your tomorrow. We all are becoming increasingly cautious about where our money goes but falter when it comes to deciding what goes into our body. A healthy mind only resides in a healthy body and there are no two opinions on that. Thus with these words, we wish you a longer and healthier life. Feel free to write to us in case of any queries and suggestions and we’ll be more than happy to help! See you in another awesome article.

 

Best Online Nutrition Courses, Certifications & Classes Reviewed by 10 Nutrition Experts 4.5
Disclaimer: When you buy through some links on our site, we may earn a commission. However this commission will not cost you anything extra.