About this qualification

This qualification aims to:

• increase understanding of the principles of healthy eating and the role of food in maintaining health
• increase confidence in planning and achieving a healthy diet
• provide an understanding of how an individual’s dietary requirements change throughout their life
• provide an understanding of food labelling and the ability to use information from food labels
• provide information on eating disorders
• increase understanding of the role of a healthy diet for weight management
• increase understanding of the principles of food safety in a home environment.

This qualification is available to study in Welsh. Please see the Welsh translated Qualification Specification, which is available to download. There will also be the option to select the certificate language when claiming certificates via the NCFE Portal.

Who is it suitable for?

This qualification is designed for a wide range of learners with some existing knowledge of this area who are interested in improving their understanding of nutrition and health.

This qualification is suitable for learners aged 14 and above.

What are the entry requirements?

There are no specific recommended prior learning requirements for this qualification. However, learners may find it helpful if they’ve already achieved a Level 1 qualification.

How is this qualification structured?

To be awarded the Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health, learners are required to successfully complete 6 mandatory units:

• Unit 01 Explore principles of healthy eating
• Unit 02 Consider nutritional needs of a variety of individuals
• Unit 03 Use food and nutrition information to plan a healthy diet
• Unit 04 The principles of weight management
• Unit 05 Understanding eating disorders
• Unit 06 Principles of food safety for the home environment

How is it assessed?

To achieve the Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health, learners must successfully demonstrate their achievement of all learning outcomes and assessment criteria of the mandatory units as detailed in the qualification specification. Grades are not awarded.

The Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Nutrition and Health is internally assessed.

What related qualifications can you progress to?

Learners who achieve this qualification could progress to:

• Level 3 Certificate in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care
• Level 3 Certificate for Working in the Health Sector
• Level 2 qualifications in Hospitality and Catering
• Level 2 and 3 qualifications in Exercise and Fitness

Funding for our qualifications

Find out more about funding for this and other qualifications on our funding page.

Which type of job roles can you apply for on completion?

This qualification aims to give learners working in, or intending to work in, settings such as sport and recreation, exercise and fitness, hospitality and catering or healthcare an understanding of nutrition and health, to support their role in the workplace.

Additional information:

For schools in Wales, this qualification carries 46 capped points (equivalent to 1 GCSE).