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EnglandFood Preparation & Nutrition

Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (C560): Principles of nutrition (Area 2) overview

An overview of the principles of nutrition content (Area 2) in Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (C560), mapping the macronutrients, micronutrients, water and dietary fibre, and energy needs including BMR and PAL, and how they are examined.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.88 min readC560 Area 2

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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  1. The nutrition content
  2. How this topic is examined
  3. How to study the nutrition topic
  4. For the official specification

Area 2 of Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (specification C560) is the science of what the body needs to stay healthy. Principles of nutrition underpins everything else in the course, from planning dishes to justifying choices in the NEA. This page maps the area and links to a focused answer page for each part.

The nutrition content

Macronutrients
Protein, fats and carbohydrates: their composition, functions, sources, biological value and complementation, and the effects of excess or deficiency. See Macronutrients.
Micronutrients
The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble vitamins (B group and C), and the key minerals (calcium, iron, sodium, fluoride, phosphorus, iodine): functions, sources and deficiencies. See Micronutrients.
Water and fibre
The functions of water and the signs of dehydration, and the role of dietary fibre (NSP) in healthy digestion. See Water and fibre.
Energy needs
Energy from macronutrients, basal metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity level (PAL), how needs vary, and energy balance. See Energy needs.

The next area, diet and good health, applies these nutrients to balanced diets, the life stages and diet-related health.

How this topic is examined

Nutrition is assessed on the written paper (Component 1), which is 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 100 marks and 50% of the GCSE. Questions include short structured answers, calculations (energy from macronutrients, BMR times PAL, percentages) and extended responses. The content also underpins the NEA, where you justify dish choices on nutritional grounds.

How to study the nutrition topic

  1. Work from the specification statements. Each point is a checklist; questions are written from them.
  2. Learn the nutrient table cold. Function, sources and deficiency for every nutrient.
  3. Drill the maths. Energy from macronutrients, BMR times PAL and percentages appear repeatedly.
  4. Link nutrients that work together. For example calcium with vitamin D, and iron with vitamin C.
  5. Apply, do not list. Link nutrition to a named group (teenager, elderly person, pregnant woman) for the higher marks.

For the official specification

Eduqas publishes the full specification (C560), past papers and mark schemes at eduqas.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and Eduqas's own past papers, because question style is board-specific.

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