The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our 22nd free and open eTextbook: The Science of Nutrition, by Dr. Heather Lehman, Associate Professor of Biology at Millersville University.
“The Science of Nutrition offers a clear and engaging introduction to the fundamental principles of nutrition. This textbook bridges evidence-based research with practical application, making it ideal for both nutrition or science majors and non-majors. Students will explore how nutrition is studied, how dietary recommendations are developed, and why these guidelines matter for health.
The book covers the full spectrum of nutrients — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals — detailing how they are used, their roles in the body, food sources, and consequences of deficiency or excess. It also examines hydration, physical activity, and the major food groups as they relate to overall wellness. This information empowers students to make informed decisions about what they eat and why.
Whether students are planning a career in health or simply want to understand how nutrition impacts their daily lives, this book provides a solid foundation for lifelong healthy choices.”
Please help us spread the word about our books and web site to further our work to reduce costs for students, bring equity to higher education classrooms, and give faculty the flexibility to design their own learning experiences. All of our books are available to download in both ePub and PDF formats from our Bookshelf.
The Science of Nutrition
by Heather L. Lehman, PhD.
Keywords: Nutrition, Food, Macronutrients, Vitamins, Minerals
About the Book
The Science of Nutrition offers a clear and engaging introduction to the fundamental principles of nutrition. This textbook bridges evidence-based research with practical application, making it ideal for both nutrition or science majors and non-majors. Students will explore how nutrition is studied, how dietary recommendations are developed, and why these guidelines matter for health.
The book covers the full spectrum of nutrients — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals — detailing how they are used, their roles in the body, food sources, and consequences of deficiency or excess. It also examines hydration, physical activity, and the major food groups as they relate to overall wellness. This information empowers students to make informed decisions about what they eat and why.
Whether students are planning a career in health or simply want to understand how nutrition impacts their daily lives, this book provides a solid foundation for lifelong healthy choices.
Chapters
- Chapter One: The Science of Nutrition
- Chapter 2: Nutritional Assessment
- Chapter 3: Digestive System
- Chapter 4: Carbohydrates
- Chapter 5: Proteins
- Chapter 6: Lipids
- Chapter 7: Water
- Chapter 8: Vitamins
- Chapter 9: Minerals
- Chapter 10: Making Healthy Choices
- Chapter 11: Physical Activity
- Appendix: Image Transcripts
- References
Usage
Readers
The eTextbooks created as a part of this program are provided in two formats: ePub and PDF. Please refer to our Reader Support section for guidance on which format may be best for you and the device(s) you use.
Instructors
If you are an instructor seeking to use this eTextbook in your own course(s) please feel free to download the ePub and/or PDF file(s) for your use, but make sure to complete our eTextbook Usage Survey (this information is used for program evaluation purposes).
If you are interested in making revisions and edits to this eTextbook please note that this is possible since the book is under a Creative Commons License, which allows you to remix, reuse, revise, and redistribute the eTextbook. Please refer to the Faculty Support Page, specifically looking at Remixing. You can download The Science of Nutrition Apple Pages File in order to use the original document to revise and remix the eTextbook for your purposes.
Citations
MLA: Lehman, Heather. The Science of Nutrition. First, The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT), 2026.
APA: Lehman, H. (2026). The science of nutrition (1st ed.). The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT).
Chicago: Lehman, Heather. The Science of Nutrition. 1st ed. The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT), 2026.
Peer Review
This eTextbook went through an Open Peer Review process. The peer review process used the Open SUNY Textbook Peer Review Guidelines, allowing peer reviewers to read the text carefully and evaluate the following:
- Educational Significance of Content including accuracy, appropriate and useful materials, valid and significant concepts, models, and skills, and key elements;
- Effectiveness as a Teaching Resource including a clear explanation of the concepts, alignment of materials to the learning process of the target audience, and alignment of the learning objectives with course goals; and
- Readability and Ease of Use including clarity and comprehensiveness, consistent writing style, readability and ease of use (logic, sequence, and flow), appropriateness for target readership level, and quality of Interactivity and multimedia learning objects.
As a part of the open peer review process, the public review conducted by Dr. Laura Weise Cross is made available: Peer Review Document (PDF).
