Harvard’s 6-Week Online Course Is the Nutrition 101 You Don’t Get in College

Flipping pancakes with my father is how I first learned to love the kitchen, and when dinner apathy strikes, I still fall back on recipes dear old dad taught me. Every once in a while though, I still feel like I need to hit the refresh button on my ideas about healthy eating. But with the help of an online nutrition class taught by a little university in Cambridge, Massachusetts (have you heard of it?), the 101 on serving up nutrient-dense eats is right at your fingertips.

Harvard Medical School's interactive six-week plan for healthy eating is a $30 (discounted from $40) class that answers every FAQ you've ever had about fueling your body at the most basic, chemical level. A glance at the syllabus (man, I love a good syllabus), reveals the themes of each week. After analyzing what makes a healthy diet, the class moves chronologically through a day's worth of meals. Weeks two, three, and four are dedicated to mastering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. After that, you learn the ins and outs of healthy snacking, as well as how to keep your healthy eatings skills as sharp as your butcher knives even after you've earned an A+ in the course.

"Through engaging, interactive slides, downloadable charts and quizzes you’ll see how to help your health with food," reads the course overview. "You’ll learn which meal can help to reduce your risk of high cholesterol and may even help improve your memory." In short, the three multi-hyphenate experts who guide the course—Mallika Marshall, MD; Leonaura Rhodes, MD; and Kathy McManus, MS, RD—give you all the tools you'll need to become a culinary scholar.

You don't have to schlep to Boston to get an Ivy League education in eating all the good food.

Harvard's "Healthy Eating Plate" is a beyond-easy framework for whipping up a healthy meal. First thing's first: make sure 50 percent of your plate is veggies.