Free Online Nutrition Courses

A free nutrition course generally covers what the body does with food: macronutrients and micronutrients, energy balance, digestion and metabolism, and how diet relates to common diseases. Broader courses look at food systems, public health nutrition, child and maternal nutrition or food safety; narrower ones focus on sports nutrition, cooking for health or reading food labels. Universities and health organisations are the main sources. University courses on edX are usually free to audit, with lectures and readings open and graded work and the certificate paid, and audit access may be time-limited. Some medical schools publish free nutrition and cooking courses aimed at the public with no certificate.

Non-profit and commercial platforms offer self-paced nutrition courses free in full with an optional paid certificate, and public health agencies publish free training with certificates of completion for specific topics. When reading a syllabus, look for who teaches it and whether the science is referenced, for a distinction between general information and clinical advice, and for whether the course promotes a particular diet or product. Nutrition suits health and fitness professionals adding a knowledge base, caregivers and parents, people managing their own diet, and students considering dietetics. No free course qualifies anyone as a dietitian, which is a regulated profession, and the courses listed here do not replace medical advice. The psychology page and the courses for seniors page share an audience with this one.