PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER The purpose of this chapter is to introduce or refresh the students’ memory of basic nutrition knowledge. The chapter will present information about how nutrition paves the way to an understanding of needs and benefits related to nutrition by life-cycle stage. The 10 principles of nutrition will be discussed, as will how each serves a purpose to provide a larger understanding of nutrition and its relationship to overall health. Four public food and nutrition programs are discussed, and readers will be able to identify the basic elements of each, while also being able to design a healthy dietary pattern. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES The following objectives are addressed in this chapter: 1.1 Understand the meaning of the nutrition concepts presented. 1.2 Read and understand the elements of nutrition labels; you will be able to understand the nutritional value of most food products. 1.3 Cite two examples of how nutrient needs change during the life cycle and how nutritional status at one stage during the life cycle can influence health status during another. 1.4 Describe the components of individual-level nutrition assessment. 1.5 Identify the basic elements of four public food and nutrition programs. 1.6 Design a healthy dietary pattern.