Singapore Secondary 4 Food & Nutrition (G2, G3)

This course introduces students to the theoretical and practical aspects of food and nutrition, promoting healthy lifestyles, sustainable food choices, and culinary skills. The curriculum is divided into three core strands: Nutrition and Health, Food Literacy, and Food Science. Students following the G2 (Normal Academic) pathway will cover similar topics as those in the G3 (Express) pathway, but with different assessment formats and expectations. Specifically, G2 students will take the N-Level examination, while G3 students will take the O-Level examination. Both pathways include a coursework component.

Nutrition and Health

This strand explores the role of nutrients in maintaining health and preventing diet-related diseases.

• Nutrients: Students learn about the chemical composition, food sources, functions, and effects of deficiency or excess of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals), as well as the importance of water and dietary fiber. Specific topics include:
• Proteins: Chemical elements, food sources, functions in the body, essential and non-essential amino acids, high and low biological value proteins, and complementary proteins.
• Carbohydrates: Chemical elements, food sources, functions in the body, simple and complex carbohydrates (monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides like starch, cellulose, and pectin). G3 students also learn about the digestion products of carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, galactose).
• Fats: Chemical elements, food sources, functions in the body, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. G3 students also learn about the digestion products of fats (fatty acids and glycerol).
• Vitamins: Classification into fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (B1, B2, B3, B12, C) vitamins, food sources, and functions in the body.
• Minerals: Food sources and functions of calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium chloride, and potassium.
• Water: Factors affecting water intake (health, diet, activity level, environment), food sources, and functions in the body.
• Dietary Fiber: Food sources and functions in the body.
• Diet and Health Problems: This topic defines malnutrition (shortage/excess of nutrients) and explores common diet-related health problems in Singapore, such as obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, dehydration, heat stroke, constipation, osteoporosis, and anemia.

Food Literacy

This strand focuses on making informed food choices and managing food resources effectively.

• Diet & Meal Planning: Students learn about balanced diets, the concept of energy balance, and factors to consider when planning meals, including nutritional needs (for different age groups), physiological factors (age, gender, metabolic rate, activity level, health), psychological factors (individual preferences, vegetarianism), social factors (occasions, customs, religions, influences), and economic factors (value for money, demand and supply).
• Meal Analysis: Students learn to evaluate and modify recipes and meals using resources like the Health Promotion Board (HPB) food guide and Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) to meet diverse dietary needs.
• Convenience Food (G3 and N-Level): Students explore different types of convenience food (ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat), their advantages and disadvantages, and the information found on food and nutrition labels. G3 students also learn about food additives (salt, sugar/sweeteners, sodium nitrite, MSG), their functions, health concerns related to excessive consumption, and how to interpret and apply information from food labels. N-Level students learn about the types of information found on food and nutrition labels and how to interpret and apply that information.

Food Science

This strand delves into the scientific principles behind food preparation, cooking, and safety.

• Food Safety (G3 only): Students learn about the causes of food spoilage (microbial, chemical, physical) and how to prevent and reduce spoilage and contamination during food preparation, cooking, and storage, including hygienic practices.
• Preparation and Cooking of Food: Students explore the reasons for cooking food and the choice of different methods based on their effects on nutrients and sensory qualities. They learn about various food groups (meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, cereals, fruits, vegetables, pulses, and legumes).
• Methods of Cooking: Students learn about heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) in different cooking methods (grilling, baking, frying, boiling, simmering, steaming, microwaving), and the advantages and disadvantages of each method. G3 students are expected to apply a variety of cooking methods in meal preparation.
• Reactions in Food During Preparation and Cooking: Students learn about key terms related to food science reactions, such as gelatinization, caramelization, dextrinization (carbohydrates), shortening, emulsion, melting point, smoke point (fats), denaturation, foaming, coagulation, gluten development, Maillard browning (proteins), and enzymatic browning (fruits/vegetables). G3 students also learn about the functions of key ingredients (flour, sugar, raising agents, fat, egg, liquid) in various food products (cakes, biscuits, pastries, batters, sauces) and are expected to justify procedures in their preparation and cooking, including local dishes. N-Level students demonstrate the skills required and justify procedures in the preparation and cooking of selected products, including local dishes.
• Sensory Evaluation: Students learn the reasons for conducting sensory evaluations and how to evaluate food products based on texture, flavor, appearance, and aroma.

Assessment

Both G2 and G3 pathways include a written examination (Paper 1) and coursework (Paper 2). The written papers assess knowledge, understanding, and problem-solving skills, while the coursework focuses on research, planning, execution, and evaluation of practical tasks. The weighting and format of the assessments differ between the two pathways. Refer to the respective syllabus documents for detailed information on assessment objectives, weighting, and format. The PLMGSS booklet provides further details on subject combinations and post-secondary pathways.