NCLEX-Aligned Practice Sets (2025/2026 Edition)
Classic vitamin deficiency diseases - *Examples: rickets, pellagra, scurvy, beriberi
-Abundant food supply
-Fortification of foods (iodized salt, niacin)
Dietary excess/imbalance - Part 1 - *Contributes to leading causes illness/death
-Diet: Coronary heart disease (CHD), some cancers, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), Diabetes
Mellitus (DM)
-Alcohol: accidents, cirrhosis, suicide, homicide
-Childhood obesity ---> adult problems
Dietary excess/imbalance - Part 2 - *Problems resulting from overconsumption- leading
cause of illness and death in the United States
*Increased consumption of sodium, solid fats, increased sugars, refined grains
*Four leading causes of death (related to diet): Coronary Heart Disease (CVD), some types of
cancers, stroke, diabetes mellitus
*Goal: encourage healthy choices in diet, exercise, weight control
Healthy People 2020-Nutrition Objectives - *Designed to reduce obesity in
children/adults
*Indicators of nutrition-related health
-Overweight statistics
-High serum cholesterol levels
-Hypertension
-Risk factors for CHD and CVA
*Nine focus areas
Nutrition Guidlelines - *Dietary reference intakes (DRIs)
-Recommended daily allowance (RDA)
,-Adequate intake (AI)
-Estimated average requirement (EAR)
-Tolerable upper intake level (UL)
*Focus on optimizing health and decreasing risk of chronic disease through nutrition
MyPlate - *2010 USDA revised USDA food guidance system
*Emphasizes personalized approach to healthy eating
*Five food groups broken into sections of the plate—grains,
vegetables, fruits, protein, and a glass of dairy
Dietary Supplements - *Include vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals/plant-derived
substances
*Unregulated by FDA—more research needed
*Supplementation indicated for some specific populations,
examples include:
-Folic acid, iron during pregnancy
-Calcium, vitamin D for elderly
*Vitamin toxicity—excessive use of supplements
-Highest risk—fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)
Nutritional Supplements - *Folic Acid- females who become pregnant to help prevent
neural tube defects
*Iron supplements- during pregnancy
*Calcium and Vitamin D- older postmenopausal women to reduce their risk for osteoporosis
*Vitamin D- for people not meeting recommended intake
*Vitamin B12- older than 50 years as needed or for vegans to ensure adequate intake
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - *Food Protection Plan to monitor/prevent
contamination of
nation's food supply
*Components: Prevention, intervention, response
, Food borne Illnesses - *Contaminants
-Biological—bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi
*E. coli 0157:H7: damages intestines, hemolytic uremic syndrome-avoid undercooked meat,
unpasteurized milk, unwashed foods
*Salmonellosis: abdominal cramping, severe nausea/diarrhea-avoid uncooked eggs,
undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk
Food Safety Practices - *Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill
*Hand washing—soap/water 20 to 30 seconds (Happy Birthday song x 2)
*Prevent cross-contamination: Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat
*Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards before and after contact with raw meat, poultry,
seafood, and eggs
*Store foods properly
*Serve foods at safe temperature- hot foods should be hot and cold foodsshould be cold
*Avoid raw milk and undercooked meat/eggs
*Risk: Greatest in persons without mature, healthy immune systems
Food Assistance for the Poor - *One in six Americans receives federally funded food
assistance at some point each year
-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
-Child Nutrition Program- National Breakfast Program and Lunch Program, Special Milk
Program, Summer Food Programs
-Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
-Commodity Supplemental Food Programs- Native American
Communities, Nutrition Service Incentive Program, The Emergency Food Distribution Program,
Farmer's Market Programs
-Meals on Wheels (Most disproportionate risk of malnutrition
is older adults).
Nutrition Screening - *Discover characteristics or risk factors associated with
dietary/nutrition problems