Open Educational Resources

Nutrition is a science-based discipline, so all the material included is backed up by rigorous scientific research, but it is presented in a clear, easy-to-understand fashion without requiring a background in science.

People are increasingly interested in sustainable food issues. They are looking for favorable ways to impact not only their health, but also the environment and their local economy. However, misinformation about how one can make a positive impact abounds. By highlighting effective sustainable food behaviors, supported by science, this book will provide you with a significant resource for increasing the sustainable practices in your day-to-day life.

This book is organized using a functional approach, which means that the material is organized around physiological functions, such as fluid and electrolyte balance, antioxidant function, bone health, energy and metabolism, and blood health, instead of organizing it strictly by nutrient. This makes the information easier to understand, retain, and apply to your own life. As this text explores the relationship between nutrition and physiology, you will receive a “behind the scenes” examination of health and disease in the body.

This open access textbook was developed as an introductory nutrition resource to reflect the diverse dietary patterns of people in Hawai‘i and the greater Pacific. Using the ‘ōlelo no‘eau, or Hawaiian proverb, stated above, we believe that the principles of nutrition should be taught through the context of our communities and environments. Its intended audience are students from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa enrolled in the Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) 185 course, The Science of Human Nutrition. However, this open access textbook may be of interest to other courses interested in teaching nutrition through a Hawai‘i-Pacific framed lens. This book is best viewed online using the pressbooks format however, multiple formats (e.g., pdf, epub, mobi) are also made available.