Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Promotion
Program Overview
Humber’s Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Promotion diploma program prepares you for a career promoting health and wellness to individuals and groups of all ages and encouraging people to live a healthier lifestyle. Unique in nature, it is the only diploma program of its kind in Canada. In this program you will:
- develop an understanding and knowledge of general and clinical nutrition, sport nutrition and physiology
- gain valuable hands-on experience coaching and conducting health promotion seminars and workshops in our unique Humber Centre for Healthy Living
- learn how to relay knowledge of essential nutrients into practical nutritious eating for clients by discovering the techniques of healthy cooking, food demonstration, recipe development and menu planning
- nutritionally assess and analyze menus and recipes integrating financial, health and culinary criteria
This innovative program will provide you with the education and experience to work in the rapidly growing health and wellness industry. The curriculum is founded on evidence-based nutrition information and is taught by registered dietitians and other regulated health-care professionals.
Both the Food and Nutrition Management program and the Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Promotion program share a common first year of study. Qualified graduates can earn the Food and Nutrition Management diploma with two additional semesters of study. Earn two diplomas in three years! This may help streamline career aspirations.
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
Conduct assessments of nutritional status, well-being, and lifestyle for clients low to moderate risk and effectively communicate assessment results.
Apply knowledge of fundamental and clinical nutrition to prescribe appropriate diets, active living, and lifestyle programs to enhance nutritional status, health, and well-being of clients of low to moderate risk.
Utilize appropriate interviewing and behavior change coaching and counseling skills to promote or enhance nutritional status, health, active living, and well-being of clients.
Collaborate with individuals in the selection and adoption of strategies to improve their nutritional status, health, and well-being.
Develop, revise and evaluate food items, recipes, and menus to maximize the nutritional content of healthy eating plans.
Apply knowledge of the global food supply, sustainability and food technology in the development and revision of recipes, menus and healthy eating plans for individual and groups of clients.
Develop, implement, and evaluate programs and events which respond to identified needs and interests of clients and maximize the benefits of diet, health, and well-being.
Contribute to community health promotion strategies to improve the health of individuals, groups, organizations and institutions.
Assist in the development of business plans for health and wellness programs, activities, and facilities.
Develop and implement risk management strategies to ensure standards and regulations for food safety and sanitation are met.
Implement ethical practices and ongoing personal and professional growth and development plans.
Interact effectively and professionally with clients, staff, and volunteers in health and wellness programs, activities, and facilities.
Work Placement
All students will complete a 14-week placement involving our on-campus Humber Centre for Healthy Living. Components include:
- nutrition awareness events: students develop and deliver group educational workshops, displays and sessions for community, business and industry partners in various settings
- practising nutrition coaching to Humber students and staff: students provide nutrition education for clients and support them in developing and achieving their health and nutrition related goals. This includes diet assessment, recommendations and development of a client tool kit.
Program Highlights
Experience a number of interesting and unique courses within the program such as:
Fundamentals of Nutrition
The beginning is the most important part of the work (Plato). In this course, students examine the fundamentals of nutrition by investigating the six classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. Students examine current Canadian guidelines and recommendations and also learn to recognize and decipher credible sources of nutrition information.
Healthy Weights and Weight Loss
Healthy weight loss isn't just about a diet or program. It's about an ongoing lifestyle that includes long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits (CDC, 2015) This course introduces the concepts of energy balance, healthy body weights and healthy strategies for weight management. Behaviour Modification approaches are examined to enhance the students abilities to facilitate behaviour change. Students practice various behaviour modification techniques and discuss their importance in promoting healthy living. Popular weight loss diets are evaluated and critiqued.
Nutrition and Chronic Disease
Over 20% of the Canadian population aged 20 years old and over is living with at least 1 major chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2014). Food and nutrition play an important role in health promotion and disease prevention. In this course, students explore the role of nutrition, diet and menu modification in the prevention and treatment of disease. Students practice adapting food and lifestyle goals for specific disease states. The role of modifying/fortifying food and the use of nutritional supplements are also considered, to help clients meet disease specific nutritional requirements.
The Humber Advantage
State-of-the-art Facilities
The practical components of this program are delivered in state-of-the-art culinary labs, ensuring you gain all the required technical and employability skills for your future career.
Take a 360 degree Tour of Our Labs
For mobile and tablet users, open the video in the YouTube app. For optimal viewing experience use Firefox or Chrome. Currently Safari does not support 360 videos.
Explore the Culinary Lab
Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness
All students will receive hands-on experience in our on-campus Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness. Drawing on the expertise of Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness faculty and students, the CIHW offers a range of programs, services, and events for MAKING HEALTHY HAPPEN within the Humber community.
The Humber Experience
The Right Fit
Do you love food? Do you care about helping people? Have a keen interest in combining the promotion of good nutrition and healthy lifestyles? Whether you are starting your career path or are currently working in the field of nutrition, fitness or culinary arts this program may be for you.
Uniform Information
Culinary uniforms are a requirement of the program and have been included in the ancillary fees. Details will be provided after receipt of your tuition deposit.
Go Abroad
Study Abroad
Qualified students in this program may be apply to participate in experiential learning trips to the Mediterranean/Italy where they have a hands-on experience in food culture, diet and lifestyle of the Mediterranean.
Qualified students in this program may also apply to a study abroad service learning trip to contribute to a global community. Past service learning trips were to Nunavut and Nicaragua. In addition, eligible students have the opportunity to apply for a study abroad experiential trip to Peru.
Each year we offer a variety of experiential learning trip opportunities for students to study abroad. Our annual short duration experiential trips in May are approximately two weeks in length. These faculty-lead study abroad trips are confirmed in the fall semester.
These trips vary each year and are subject to availability and eligibility requirements. Additional fees apply.
Your Career
The Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability industry (LOHAS) offers many opportunities to help individuals live more healthy and sustainable lives. You can expect to be a part of this rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar industry and find employment planning and promoting a healthy lifestyle in workplaces such as:
- corporate and community food and food service organizations
- educational facilities
- entrepreneurial ventures in nutrition and health coaching, menu planning, meal preparation, and nutritional analysis
- fitness and wellness centres
- government agencies
- weight management clinics
Professional Accreditations & Recognition
TrainCan - Advanced Food Safety Training and Certification (ADVANCED.fst®)
Qualified students have the opportunity to earn TrainCan - Advanced Food Safety Training and Certification (ADVANCED.fst®) certification as part of the program
Additional requirements may apply.
Note: The requirements for the additional credential(s) are determined by the granting body, which is independent from the College. Students are encouraged to obtain the specific requirements directly from the granting body before enrolling.
Centre for Healthy Living Testimonial
Watch the video to hear how the program changed his life. A Humber faculty member offers a look at the Healthy Changes program in the Humber Centre for Healthy Living.
Humber Students Benefit from Five Centres of Innovation (COIs)
The Humber Centres of Innovation Network demonstrates our strong commitment to providing an experiential learning environment for students. Students and faculty work with industry partners on real-world challenges to prepare them to become the innovative and strategic problem-solvers of tomorrow. Come to Humber and experience interdisciplinary learning across five COIs.
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On October 21, 2019, the Provincial Government of Ontario announced the renaming of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU). Both names may appear on this website.
