ANSWER:

• Proper nutrition is important for all of us. Home Health Aides/Personal Care Aides have very important roles to fill with regard to helping their patients obtain proper nutrition. This module will explore the basics of nutrition. We will discuss all the important types of food that should be in a patient’s diet. We will also talk about the type of food that should be avoided. We will learn how to use the USDA’s nutrition guidelines by learning how to plan meals using ChooseMyPlate guidelines. We will talk about food preparation and safe food handling. We will also explore what different types of diets mean and what foods should and should not be included in those special diets.

• Meal planning could be a potential tool to offset time scarcity and therefore encourage home meal preparation, which has been linked with an improved diet quality. However, to date, meal planning has received little attention in the scientific literature. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between meal planning and diet quality, including adherence to nutritional guidelines and food variety, as well as weight status.