DHN 101 Nutrition Fundamentals – 100
Question Practice Exam with Answer Key
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics |
2025/2026 (NEWEST!!)
Domain 1: Foundations of Nutrition & Food Choices (Questions 1-20)
1. Which nutrient provides the most energy per gram?
A. Carbohydrates
B. Protein
C. Fat
D. Vitamins
Answer: C. Fat
Rationale: Fat provides 9 kcal/g, while carbohydrates and protein provide 4 kcal/g, and
vitamins provide no energy.
2. The term “essential nutrient” means:
A. Synthesized in the body
B. Not needed daily
C. Must be obtained from diet
D. Stored indefinitely
Answer: C. Must be obtained from diet
Rationale: Essential nutrients cannot be produced by the body in sufficient amounts
and therefore must be obtained from food.
3. Which of the following is NOT a key nutrition concept?
A. The best way for people to obtain all the essential nutrients is to consume dietary
supplements.
B. Nutrition is an exact science.
C. Food choices are influenced by many factors.
D. Malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition.
Answer: A. The best way for people to obtain all the essential nutrients is to
consume dietary supplements.
4. A person chooses to eat an apple instead of a bag of potato chips. This is an
example of choosing a food that is:
A. Higher in energy density
B. Higher in nutrient density
C. Higher in empty calories
D. Higher in trans fats
,Answer: B. Higher in nutrient density
Rationale: Nutrient-dense foods provide a high amount of vitamins and minerals
relative to their calorie content. Apples are nutrient-dense, while chips are energy-
dense.
5. Which factor is considered a SOCIAL influence on food choices, rather than a
physiological one?
A. Hunger pangs
B. Taste aversion
C. Family traditions and cultural celebrations
D. Low blood glucose levels
Answer: C. Family traditions and cultural celebrations
6. A new study finds that people who eat fish weekly have a lower risk of heart
disease. This type of scientific finding is a(n):
A. Controlled experiment
B. Double-blind study
C. Correlation (association)
D. Causation
Answer: C. Correlation (association)
Rationale: Observational studies can show an association between two variables, but
they cannot prove causation without a controlled clinical trial.
7. Which of the following websites is MOST likely to provide unreliable, biased
nutrition information?
A. An academic institution's website (.edu)
B. A government health agency's website (.gov)
C. A commercial website selling herbal detox teas (.com)
D. A non-profit health organization's website (.org)
Answer: C. A commercial website selling herbal detox teas (.com)
8. The federal agency responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws and
investigating false advertising of dietary supplements is the:
A. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
B. FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
C. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
D. NIH (National Institutes of Health)
Answer: B. FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
9. A placebo is used in nutrition research to:
A. Ensure the sample size is large enough
B. Provide a known effective treatment to all participants
C. Control for the psychological effect of receiving a treatment
, D. Increase the amount of variables being studied
Answer: C. Control for the psychological effect of receiving a treatment
10. In a randomized controlled trial testing a new weight-loss supplement,
neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the actual
supplement and who is receiving the placebo. This is known as a:
A. Single-blind study
B. Double-blind study
C. Correlational study
D. Case-control study
Answer: B. Double-blind study
11. Which of the following factors has a major influence over a person's food
choices?
A. Blood type
B. Birth order
C. Vitamin A status
D. Childhood Experiences
Answer: D. Childhood Experiences
12. Which of the following is NOT a biological or physiological factor that
influences a person's food choices?
A. Hunger
B. Taste
C. Emotional stress level
D. Low blood glucose levels
Answer: C. Emotional stress level
13. Which of the following is NOT true about water?
A. Water is necessary for immune function
B. Water is the most essential nutrient
C. Water provides energy
D. Water regulates body temperature
Answer: C. Water provides energy
14. To help health professionals evaluate the nutritional adequacy of diets,
nutrition experts have established the ______.
A. Adequate Intakes
B. Food and Drug Allowance
C. Tolerable Upper Limit
D. Dietary Reference Intakes
Answer: D. Dietary Reference Intakes
15. Which of the following statements is true about the traditional
Mediterranean diet?
Question Practice Exam with Answer Key
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics |
2025/2026 (NEWEST!!)
Domain 1: Foundations of Nutrition & Food Choices (Questions 1-20)
1. Which nutrient provides the most energy per gram?
A. Carbohydrates
B. Protein
C. Fat
D. Vitamins
Answer: C. Fat
Rationale: Fat provides 9 kcal/g, while carbohydrates and protein provide 4 kcal/g, and
vitamins provide no energy.
2. The term “essential nutrient” means:
A. Synthesized in the body
B. Not needed daily
C. Must be obtained from diet
D. Stored indefinitely
Answer: C. Must be obtained from diet
Rationale: Essential nutrients cannot be produced by the body in sufficient amounts
and therefore must be obtained from food.
3. Which of the following is NOT a key nutrition concept?
A. The best way for people to obtain all the essential nutrients is to consume dietary
supplements.
B. Nutrition is an exact science.
C. Food choices are influenced by many factors.
D. Malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition.
Answer: A. The best way for people to obtain all the essential nutrients is to
consume dietary supplements.
4. A person chooses to eat an apple instead of a bag of potato chips. This is an
example of choosing a food that is:
A. Higher in energy density
B. Higher in nutrient density
C. Higher in empty calories
D. Higher in trans fats
,Answer: B. Higher in nutrient density
Rationale: Nutrient-dense foods provide a high amount of vitamins and minerals
relative to their calorie content. Apples are nutrient-dense, while chips are energy-
dense.
5. Which factor is considered a SOCIAL influence on food choices, rather than a
physiological one?
A. Hunger pangs
B. Taste aversion
C. Family traditions and cultural celebrations
D. Low blood glucose levels
Answer: C. Family traditions and cultural celebrations
6. A new study finds that people who eat fish weekly have a lower risk of heart
disease. This type of scientific finding is a(n):
A. Controlled experiment
B. Double-blind study
C. Correlation (association)
D. Causation
Answer: C. Correlation (association)
Rationale: Observational studies can show an association between two variables, but
they cannot prove causation without a controlled clinical trial.
7. Which of the following websites is MOST likely to provide unreliable, biased
nutrition information?
A. An academic institution's website (.edu)
B. A government health agency's website (.gov)
C. A commercial website selling herbal detox teas (.com)
D. A non-profit health organization's website (.org)
Answer: C. A commercial website selling herbal detox teas (.com)
8. The federal agency responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws and
investigating false advertising of dietary supplements is the:
A. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
B. FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
C. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
D. NIH (National Institutes of Health)
Answer: B. FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
9. A placebo is used in nutrition research to:
A. Ensure the sample size is large enough
B. Provide a known effective treatment to all participants
C. Control for the psychological effect of receiving a treatment
, D. Increase the amount of variables being studied
Answer: C. Control for the psychological effect of receiving a treatment
10. In a randomized controlled trial testing a new weight-loss supplement,
neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the actual
supplement and who is receiving the placebo. This is known as a:
A. Single-blind study
B. Double-blind study
C. Correlational study
D. Case-control study
Answer: B. Double-blind study
11. Which of the following factors has a major influence over a person's food
choices?
A. Blood type
B. Birth order
C. Vitamin A status
D. Childhood Experiences
Answer: D. Childhood Experiences
12. Which of the following is NOT a biological or physiological factor that
influences a person's food choices?
A. Hunger
B. Taste
C. Emotional stress level
D. Low blood glucose levels
Answer: C. Emotional stress level
13. Which of the following is NOT true about water?
A. Water is necessary for immune function
B. Water is the most essential nutrient
C. Water provides energy
D. Water regulates body temperature
Answer: C. Water provides energy
14. To help health professionals evaluate the nutritional adequacy of diets,
nutrition experts have established the ______.
A. Adequate Intakes
B. Food and Drug Allowance
C. Tolerable Upper Limit
D. Dietary Reference Intakes
Answer: D. Dietary Reference Intakes
15. Which of the following statements is true about the traditional
Mediterranean diet?
