Key nutrition and dietetics terms, explained in plain language.
A simple weight-to-height ratio used to screen for underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity. India uses Asian-Indian cut-offs.
The calories your body needs at complete rest to keep basic functions running.
The total calories you burn in a day, including activity — used to plan diets for weight goals.
Carbohydrates, proteins and fats — the nutrients your body needs in large amounts for energy and function.
Vitamins and minerals needed in smaller amounts but essential for health.
A ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate food raises blood sugar — central to diabetes-friendly planning.
A diet modified to support a medical condition, such as diabetes, kidney disease or heart disease.
The National Skills Qualification Framework — a Government of India framework that organises skill qualifications by level.
The National Council for Vocational Education and Training — which approves awarding bodies like a recognised Skill University.
Body measurements (like height, weight and circumferences) used to assess nutritional status.
A food or supplement that provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition.
Defining consistent serving sizes — vital for accurate, repeatable Indian meal planning.
New to nutrition and wellness? This plain-language glossary explains the terms you will come across most often, whether you are a learner starting an NNWA course or simply trying to understand your own health better. We keep the definitions simple and practical — and as always, for anything medical, a qualified doctor or registered dietitian should guide you.
Nutrients the body needs in large amounts for energy — protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Vitamins and minerals needed in small amounts but essential for health.
A unit of energy from food; the basis of energy balance for weight.
Basal Metabolic Rate — the calories your body uses at complete rest.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure — all the calories you burn in a day.
Body Mass Index — weight relative to height, used as a screening tool.
A ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate food raises blood sugar.
Glycemic index adjusted for the actual portion of carbohydrate eaten.
A macronutrient that builds and repairs tissue and supports many body functions.
Indigestible plant carbohydrate that supports digestion and fullness.
Beneficial bacteria, found in foods like curd, that support gut health.
Food components that feed beneficial gut bacteria.
Compounds that protect cells from damage by free radicals.
The body’s processes that convert food into energy and building blocks.
A hormone that regulates blood sugar by moving glucose into cells.
A fatty substance in the blood; includes LDL and HDL types.
A type of fat, solid at room temperature, best eaten in moderation.
An unhealthy industrial fat best avoided for heart health.
Maintaining adequate body water for health and performance.
Managing the amount of food eaten to balance energy intake.
A diet providing the right mix of all nutrients in sensible proportions.
A diet adjusted to support a specific health condition, alongside medical care.
National Skills Qualifications Framework — India’s skill-level benchmark.
A statutory clinical title requiring formal qualification and registration.
Body measurements such as height and weight used in nutritional assessment.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome — a common hormonal condition affecting women.
An approach to food you can maintain long term, rather than crash dieting.
Understanding this vocabulary is the first step toward making confident, informed choices — and it is exactly the kind of practical grounding our courses build on. If you would like to learn the science behind these terms properly, and how to apply it for yourself or for clients, our programmes are designed to take you there, step by step.
Want to learn the science behind these terms? Explore our courses.
Talk to a counsellor →Bookmark this page and refer back to it whenever a term trips you up — in an article, a doctor’s note, or one of our lessons. Understanding the language of nutrition and wellness is genuinely empowering: it helps you ask better questions, spot misinformation, and make confident choices for yourself and your family. And if a term you need is not here, just ask a counsellor or mentor; we are always glad to explain things in plain language.
This vocabulary is also the foundation our courses build on. If learning these ideas sparks your curiosity, our programmes take you from these basics all the way to confidently applying them in real diet and lifestyle plans for yourself and for clients.
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