Behavioral Nutrition Course

Lesson 1 • Psychological Influences on Food Choice

Explores how emotions, cognition, and personality shape eating decisions. Grounds students in the mental processes that behavioral interventions must address.

Lesson 2 • Core Behavioral Theories Overview

Introduces major theoretical models used to explain and predict dietary behavior change. Sets the conceptual foundation for applied intervention design in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Biological Drivers of Eating

Examines hunger, satiety, and appetite regulation at the physiological level. Provides the biological baseline needed to understand behavioral interventions.

Lesson 4 • Social and Environmental Determinants

Analyzes how culture, family, peers, and physical settings influence dietary behavior. Prepares students to assess contextual factors in client environments.

Lesson 1 • The Habit Loop in Eating

Breaks down the cue-routine-reward cycle as it applies to food behavior. Connects habit theory to observable dietary patterns clients present.

Lesson 2 • Neurological Basis of Food Habits

Explains how repeated eating behaviors become encoded in neural pathways. Provides the biological rationale for why habits resist change.

Lesson 3 • Building Sustainable Dietary Habits

Focuses on long-term habit consolidation and maintenance after initial change. Prepares students to support clients through the full behavior change cycle.

Lesson 4 • Triggers and Contextual Cues

Identifies internal and external triggers that activate eating habits. Equips students to map client-specific cue profiles for targeted intervention.

Lesson 1 • Stages of Readiness for Change

Applies the Transtheoretical Model to assess where clients stand in the change process. Enables stage-matched communication and intervention selection.

Lesson 2 • Goal Setting in Nutritional Contexts

Teaches structured goal-setting methods tailored to dietary behavior change. Connects goal quality to client adherence and measurable nutritional outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Motivation

Distinguishes internal drives from external incentives in the context of dietary behavior. Helps students identify which motivational levers are most durable for each client.

Lesson 4 • Overcoming Motivational Barriers

Identifies common obstacles that undermine dietary motivation and persistence. Equips students with reframing and problem-solving strategies for client support.

Lesson 1 • Managing Ambivalence and Resistance

Addresses how to respond skillfully when clients express mixed feelings or push back. Prevents practitioner behaviors that increase client resistance to dietary change.

Lesson 2 • Core Principles of Motivational Interviewing

Introduces the spirit and foundational principles of motivational interviewing as a counseling style. Establishes the collaborative, non-judgmental stance required for effective nutrition counseling.

Lesson 3 • Applying MI in Nutrition Sessions

Integrates MI skills into structured nutrition counseling sessions from opening to close. Prepares students to adapt MI depth to session length and client readiness.

Lesson 4 • OARS Communication Skills

Teaches the four core communication micro-skills: open questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries. Provides the practical toolkit for conducting motivational nutrition conversations.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Behavioral Assessment

Establishes the purpose, scope, and ethical boundaries of behavioral nutrition assessment. Frames assessment as the diagnostic foundation for all subsequent intervention decisions.

Lesson 2 • Building the Client Behavioral Profile

Synthesizes assessment data into a coherent behavioral profile that guides intervention planning. Prepares students to communicate findings clearly and collaboratively with clients.

Lesson 3 • Validated Behavioral Screening Tools

Introduces standardized instruments for assessing eating behavior, attitudes, and psychological factors. Equips students to select tools appropriate to client presentation and practice setting.

Lesson 4 • Dietary Intake Assessment Methods

Reviews validated methods for capturing what and how clients eat in real-world contexts. Connects intake data to behavioral patterns identified in the broader assessment.

Lesson 1 • Cognitive Restructuring Techniques

Provides methods to challenge and replace maladaptive food-related thoughts with balanced alternatives. Directly supports clients in building a healthier cognitive relationship with food.

Lesson 2 • CBT for Emotional and Binge Eating

Applies CBT protocols specifically to emotional eating and binge eating presentations. Prepares students to recognize clinical boundaries and apply appropriate techniques.

Lesson 3 • Identifying Cognitive Distortions in Eating

Teaches recognition of common thinking errors that perpetuate unhealthy eating patterns. Enables students to help clients spot distorted beliefs before they drive behavior.

Lesson 4 • Behavioral Activation and Food Routines

Uses behavioral activation principles to establish positive dietary routines and reduce avoidance. Connects action-oriented CBT strategies to sustainable meal planning behavior.

Lesson 1 • Structuring the Intervention Plan

Guides students through the components of a complete behavioral nutrition intervention plan. Ensures plans are logically sequenced, time-bound, and client-centered.

Lesson 2 • Group-Based Behavioral Interventions

Adapts behavioral nutrition intervention principles to group delivery formats. Prepares students to leverage social dynamics for enhanced dietary behavior change.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Behavior Change Intervention Design

Establishes the core design principles that distinguish effective from ineffective behavioral interventions. Connects assessment findings from the previous chapter to structured intervention logic.

Lesson 4 • Selecting Behavior Change Techniques

Introduces the taxonomy of behavior change techniques and criteria for selecting among them. Enables students to build intervention toolkits grounded in behavioral evidence.

Lesson 1 • Disordered Eating and Clinical Boundaries

Distinguishes disordered eating presentations from clinical eating disorders and defines scope of practice. Ensures students can identify when to refer and how to support safely.

Lesson 2 • Chronic Disease and Dietary Behavior

Addresses the behavioral complexity of dietary adherence in clients managing chronic conditions. Prepares students to integrate medical context into behavioral nutrition planning.

Lesson 3 • Relapse Prevention and Long-Term Maintenance

Applies advanced relapse prevention frameworks to sustain dietary behavior change over time. Prepares students to build maintenance plans that anticipate and address high-risk situations.

Lesson 4 • Behavioral Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Examines how developmental stage shapes food behavior and intervention requirements. Equips students to tailor strategies for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.