Coursera

Navigating Diets (Coursera)

Offered by National Academy of Sports Medicine,

The wide and wonderful world of diets can be difficult terrain to navigate, especially with so much information scattered across the Internet and in magazines. Some are backed by scientific evidence, whereas others are mostly hype. Informed readers need to be well-armed with the latest facts regarding diets and how they impact health, body composition, and athletic performance.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

This course explores many different types of diets and provides details regarding their various levels of safety and effectiveness, including diets that are comprised of different macronutrient compositions, food choices, and time restrictions (fasting), in addition to the psychology diets have on adherence.
With over 30 years as a leader in fitness and wellness education, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has built its reputation on providing an evidence-based curriculum that is both relevant and applicable for those seeking the skills and knowledge required to promote optimal health.
Course 5 of 5 in the Nutrition Education for the Consumer Specialization.

What You Will Learn

Learn the underlying characteristics that make a diet effective.
Discover personal preferences when looking to adhere to a diet.
Compare common diets used to manage safe and effective weight loss.
Learn some of the behavioral roadblocks that may affect diet adherence.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
NASM's Navigating Diets
The wide and wonderful world of diets can be difficult terrain to navigate, especially with so much information scattered across the Internet and in magazines. Some are backed by scientific evidence, whereas others are mostly hype. Informed readers need to be well-armed with the latest facts regarding diets and how they impact health, body composition, and athletic performance.
This course explores many different types of diets and provides details regarding their various levels of safety and effectiveness, including diets that are comprised of different macronutrient compositions, food choices, and time restrictions (fasting), in addition to the psychology diets have on adherence.

Go to Class

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Coursera

University of California, Davis

Equine Welfare and Management (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Veterinary

This unique course was developed by veterinarians at the world-renowned University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The course will address horsemanship from a welfare perspective, within the context of “The Five Freedoms” of animal welfare. We’ll explore equine physiology, behavior and basic needs including housing, nutrition, hygiene and disease management.

Aug 17th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Nutrition Equine Horses

Coursera

National Academy of Sports Medicine

Plant-Based Diets (Coursera)

Food & Nutrition Health & Society

In today's world, there are many eating patterns available to choose from. They can range across a dietary spectrum from a totally carnivorous diet (meat-eating) to an entirely herbivorous diet (plant-eating). Plant-based diets are diets that rely primarily or entirely on plant-based foods. This course has been designed to help those navigate the various available plant-based diet options, their associated health benefits, and the common myths surrounding these dietary lifestyles.

Aug 3rd 2026

1 Week

Health Nutrition Healthy

Coursera

Johns Hopkins University

Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2 (Coursera)

Health & Society

This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance; humanitarian principles; and other very relevant topics. We will explore what humanitarian interventions could look like if we want to mitigate the effects of disasters.

Aug 3rd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Nutrition Epidemiology Diseases

Coursera

Johns Hopkins University

The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health (Coursera)

Health & Society Medicine & Pharmacology

The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program.

Aug 10th 2026

3 Weeks

Health Nutrition Vaccines

Coursera

National Academy of Sports Medicine

Aligning Diet and Exercise (Coursera)

Food & Nutrition Health & Society

When considering body composition goals, modifications to both diet and exercise are inevitable. Most often, an individual’s dietary interventions do not align with their exercise regimen, which may diminish the potential for success. This course explores the energy pathways and how macronutrients fuel exercise across intensity and duration, in addition to popular dietary interventions and their alignment with exercise recommendations.

Aug 3rd 2026

1 Week

Healthy Diet Healthy Diets

Coursera

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. In this course we will explore the effect of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production. The content and learning outcomes of this new course will be designed to be relevant across different food production sectors (i.e., beef, dairy, poultry, and pigs).

Aug 10th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Sustainability Nutrition

Coursera

National Academy of Sports Medicine

Making Sense of Supplements (Coursera)

Food & Nutrition Health & Society

No matter how hard you try, there is no escaping the endless stream of advertising for all the nutritional supplements out there. From protein and creatine to caffeine and other more-controversial performance aids, there is something tailored to every health, wellness, and fitness goal. This course has been designed to help explore some of the most common trends in the nutritional supplementation landscape and to help separate research-supported hope from marketing hype.

Aug 3rd 2026

1 Week

Health Nutrition Healthy

Coursera

Tufts University

Building a Healthy Plate (Coursera)

Food & Nutrition Health & Society

In a world of conflicting nutrition messages, how do we know which foods are good for us? What are the components of a healthy dietary pattern and why does it matter? Throughout this mini course, we explore the relationship between diet and health by examining the eating patterns that have been shown to prevent chronic diet-related conditions.

Aug 3rd 2026

4 Weeks

Health Nutrition Healthy Diets

Coursera

Universiteit Utrecht

Unravelling solutions for Future Food problems (Coursera)

Food & Nutrition Health & Society

Our society depends on the availability of food and accessibility to it. According to the United Nations nearly 800 million people are hungry and on the other hand, over 650 million people are obese. While many people in developing countries experience food shortage, in industrialized countries people are throwing food away. These facts show how paradoxical and complex the world’s food problem is.

May 3rd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Sustainability Nutrition

Coursera

National Academy of Sports Medicine

Science of Fat Metabolism (Coursera)

Food & Nutrition Health & Society

The term “fat” can be applied to several aspects of health and fitness, from macronutrients in food to tissues in the body, to molecules in the blood. The consumption of fat can be a complex topic due to many different things: fat types, their health effects, the ways fats are metabolized and stored, etc. This course provides a greater understanding of fat-related concepts including the fats consumed in various diets, the physiology of fats within the body, in addition to ways fats are absorbed, stored, and utilized as fuel.

Aug 3rd 2026

1 Week

Health Nutrition Fat

Coursera

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

The Science of Gastronomy (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

This course introduces a number of basic scientific principles underpinning the methodology of cooking, food preparation and the enjoyment of food. All topics covered have a strong basis in biology, chemistry, and physics application. Among others, they include the consumption of cooked food, the physiological and evolutionary implication of the senses, geographic and cultural influences on food, and the rationale behind food preparation. We will also discuss issues such as coupling of senses to improve sense stimulation; altering flavor by chemical means; and modification of the coloration to improve the appearance of dishes. Following the video demonstrations of the scientific principles of cooking, you will learn to recognize the key ingredients and their combinations for preparing good healthy food.

Jul 7th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Biology Physics

Coursera

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Nutrición y obesidad: control de sobrepeso (Coursera)

Health & Society

En este curso, ofrecido por la UNAM, reconocerás una herramienta para evitar, manejar y controlar el sobrepeso y la obesidad, al destacar la importancia del autocuidado y el apoyo familiar en el manejo de este padecimiento. Te mostrará el verdadero valor de los alimentos como compañeros de tu vida, te alejará de los kilos de más y te forjará hábitos saludables que marcarán una senda de salud perdurable.

Aug 17th 2026

4 Weeks

Nutrition Obesity Overweight