COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE • 2026/2027
D440
Health & Wellness Through
Nutritional Science
Comprehensive Study Guide
Nutrition foundations, digestion and metabolism, macronutrients, micronutrients, lifespan nutrition,
assessment, weight management, therapeutic diets, and nutrition-related patient conditions.
18 HIGH-YIELD 30
Core Sections Nursing Focus Rapid Review Q&A
Original study and revision material • Clean print-ready format
,D440 • Health & Wellness Through Nutritional Science • Comprehensive Study Guide
D440 Comprehensive Study Guide
A high-yield nursing nutrition review organized around the published D440 scope.
Course focus. D440 centers on basic principles of nutrition, nutrition across the life cycle, weight management and physical
health, and nutrition related to patient conditions. This guide organizes high-yield nursing nutrition concepts around those four
pillars.
How to use this guide
Study one section at a time, memorize the comparison tables, then complete the Rapid Review at the end. Focus
on nursing priorities: assessment cues, patient teaching, safety, and how nutrition changes with disease or life
stage.
Exam mindset: When two answers seem reasonable, prefer the option that best protects the patient, corrects the most
immediate physiologic risk, or reflects safe evidence-based nutrition teaching.
Study Roadmap
Section High-yield focus
1. Core Nutrition Foundations Energy, nutrient classes, DRIs, nutrient density, balance and moderation
2. Digestion, Absorption & GI roles, absorption sites, energy pathways and storage
Metabolism
3. Carbohydrates Glucose, fiber, glycemic effects and carbohydrate quality
4. Proteins Amino acids, nitrogen balance, protein quality and clinical needs
5. Lipids Fat types, essential fatty acids, cholesterol and heart health
6. Vitamins Fat- and water-soluble vitamins, functions, sources, deficiency/toxicity clues
7. Minerals, Water & Calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, hydration
Electrolytes
8. Nutrition Assessment Anthropometrics, labs, intake history, malnutrition cues
9-11. Nutrition Across the Pregnancy/lactation, infancy/childhood/adolescence, adults/older adults
Lifespan
12. Weight Management & Energy balance, sustainable behavior change, physical activity
Physical Health
13-17. Nutrition in Patient Cardiovascular, diabetes, GI, renal, liver, wounds, dysphagia, nutrition support
Conditions
18. Rapid Review High-yield recap and 30 original check questions
PassPointPro • D440 Comprehensive Study Guide Page 2
, D440 • Health & Wellness Through Nutritional Science • Comprehensive Study Guide
1 • Core Nutrition Foundations
The language of nutrition and the patterns behind most exam questions.
Nutrition is the study of how food and nutrients influence growth, tissue maintenance, metabolism, health, and disease risk.
Nursing nutrition questions often connect a nutrient concept to assessment findings, patient teaching, or a clinical condition.
The six major nutrient categories are carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrate, protein, and
fat are macronutrients because the body needs them in larger amounts. Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. Water is
essential but does not provide energy.
Energy yield: carbohydrate provides about 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, and alcohol 7 kcal/g. Vitamins, minerals,
and water provide no calories.
Nutrient density describes foods that provide substantial vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, or other beneficial nutrients
relative to calories. Energy density describes calories per gram of food; foods high in water and fiber tend to be less energy
dense.
• Balance: combine foods from different groups rather than relying heavily on one source.
• Variety: eating a range of foods improves the chance of meeting micronutrient needs.
• Moderation: portion size and frequency matter, especially for added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
• Adequacy: intake should meet essential nutrient needs without chronic deficiency.
• Individualization: age, pregnancy status, activity, culture, disease, medications, finances, dentition, swallowing ability, and
food access can all change nutrition needs.
Term What to know
RDA Average daily intake sufficient for nearly all healthy people in a specific age/sex group.
AI Used when evidence is insufficient to establish an RDA; represents an intake assumed to be adequate.
EAR Average intake estimated to meet the requirement of about half of healthy people in a defined group.
UL Highest average daily intake unlikely to pose risk for most people; routinely exceeding it raises toxicity
risk.
AMDR Recommended percentage range of total energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
High-yield numbers
Adult AMDR: carbohydrate about 45-65% of total calories, fat 20-35%, and protein 10-35%. Think of these as
broad healthy ranges rather than individualized prescriptions.
2 • Digestion, Absorption & Metabolism
Know where nutrients are broken down, absorbed, transported, and stored.
Mouth: chewing mechanically breaks food apart. Salivary amylase begins starch digestion. Swallowing moves the bolus
toward the esophagus.
Stomach: acid denatures proteins, pepsin begins protein digestion, and muscular mixing forms chyme. Very little nutrient
absorption occurs here compared with the small intestine.
Small intestine: the major site of digestion and absorption. Pancreatic enzymes digest carbohydrate, protein, and fat; bile
from the liver/gallbladder emulsifies fat. Villi and microvilli create a large absorptive surface.
PassPointPro • D440 Comprehensive Study Guide Page 3
D440
Health & Wellness Through
Nutritional Science
Comprehensive Study Guide
Nutrition foundations, digestion and metabolism, macronutrients, micronutrients, lifespan nutrition,
assessment, weight management, therapeutic diets, and nutrition-related patient conditions.
18 HIGH-YIELD 30
Core Sections Nursing Focus Rapid Review Q&A
Original study and revision material • Clean print-ready format
,D440 • Health & Wellness Through Nutritional Science • Comprehensive Study Guide
D440 Comprehensive Study Guide
A high-yield nursing nutrition review organized around the published D440 scope.
Course focus. D440 centers on basic principles of nutrition, nutrition across the life cycle, weight management and physical
health, and nutrition related to patient conditions. This guide organizes high-yield nursing nutrition concepts around those four
pillars.
How to use this guide
Study one section at a time, memorize the comparison tables, then complete the Rapid Review at the end. Focus
on nursing priorities: assessment cues, patient teaching, safety, and how nutrition changes with disease or life
stage.
Exam mindset: When two answers seem reasonable, prefer the option that best protects the patient, corrects the most
immediate physiologic risk, or reflects safe evidence-based nutrition teaching.
Study Roadmap
Section High-yield focus
1. Core Nutrition Foundations Energy, nutrient classes, DRIs, nutrient density, balance and moderation
2. Digestion, Absorption & GI roles, absorption sites, energy pathways and storage
Metabolism
3. Carbohydrates Glucose, fiber, glycemic effects and carbohydrate quality
4. Proteins Amino acids, nitrogen balance, protein quality and clinical needs
5. Lipids Fat types, essential fatty acids, cholesterol and heart health
6. Vitamins Fat- and water-soluble vitamins, functions, sources, deficiency/toxicity clues
7. Minerals, Water & Calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, hydration
Electrolytes
8. Nutrition Assessment Anthropometrics, labs, intake history, malnutrition cues
9-11. Nutrition Across the Pregnancy/lactation, infancy/childhood/adolescence, adults/older adults
Lifespan
12. Weight Management & Energy balance, sustainable behavior change, physical activity
Physical Health
13-17. Nutrition in Patient Cardiovascular, diabetes, GI, renal, liver, wounds, dysphagia, nutrition support
Conditions
18. Rapid Review High-yield recap and 30 original check questions
PassPointPro • D440 Comprehensive Study Guide Page 2
, D440 • Health & Wellness Through Nutritional Science • Comprehensive Study Guide
1 • Core Nutrition Foundations
The language of nutrition and the patterns behind most exam questions.
Nutrition is the study of how food and nutrients influence growth, tissue maintenance, metabolism, health, and disease risk.
Nursing nutrition questions often connect a nutrient concept to assessment findings, patient teaching, or a clinical condition.
The six major nutrient categories are carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrate, protein, and
fat are macronutrients because the body needs them in larger amounts. Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients. Water is
essential but does not provide energy.
Energy yield: carbohydrate provides about 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, and alcohol 7 kcal/g. Vitamins, minerals,
and water provide no calories.
Nutrient density describes foods that provide substantial vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, or other beneficial nutrients
relative to calories. Energy density describes calories per gram of food; foods high in water and fiber tend to be less energy
dense.
• Balance: combine foods from different groups rather than relying heavily on one source.
• Variety: eating a range of foods improves the chance of meeting micronutrient needs.
• Moderation: portion size and frequency matter, especially for added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
• Adequacy: intake should meet essential nutrient needs without chronic deficiency.
• Individualization: age, pregnancy status, activity, culture, disease, medications, finances, dentition, swallowing ability, and
food access can all change nutrition needs.
Term What to know
RDA Average daily intake sufficient for nearly all healthy people in a specific age/sex group.
AI Used when evidence is insufficient to establish an RDA; represents an intake assumed to be adequate.
EAR Average intake estimated to meet the requirement of about half of healthy people in a defined group.
UL Highest average daily intake unlikely to pose risk for most people; routinely exceeding it raises toxicity
risk.
AMDR Recommended percentage range of total energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
High-yield numbers
Adult AMDR: carbohydrate about 45-65% of total calories, fat 20-35%, and protein 10-35%. Think of these as
broad healthy ranges rather than individualized prescriptions.
2 • Digestion, Absorption & Metabolism
Know where nutrients are broken down, absorbed, transported, and stored.
Mouth: chewing mechanically breaks food apart. Salivary amylase begins starch digestion. Swallowing moves the bolus
toward the esophagus.
Stomach: acid denatures proteins, pepsin begins protein digestion, and muscular mixing forms chyme. Very little nutrient
absorption occurs here compared with the small intestine.
Small intestine: the major site of digestion and absorption. Pancreatic enzymes digest carbohydrate, protein, and fat; bile
from the liver/gallbladder emulsifies fat. Villi and microvilli create a large absorptive surface.
PassPointPro • D440 Comprehensive Study Guide Page 3
