CFN-2 Solved Assignment January 2026 | Your Food and Its Utilization | IGNOU CFN

Q1. Differentiate between the following:

(a)) What are nutrients? Explain functions of various nutrients. (160 words)
(b)) “Water is an indispensable nutrient”. Comment on the statement giving appropriate examples. (60 words)

Key Points:

Nutrients are chemical substances in food essential for growth, maintenance, and repair.
Macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins) provide energy and building blocks.
Micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals) regulate body processes and facilitate reactions.
Carbohydrates are primary energy sources; Fats provide concentrated energy and insulation.

Answer: The human body requires a variety of substances, known as nutrients, to sustain life, grow, and perform daily functions. These nutrients are broadly categorized based on the quantity required and their primary roles. Among these, water holds a uniquely indispensable position due to its involvement in virtually every physiological process.

Q2. Answer the following:

(a)) What is growth monitoring? How would you monitor growth of children? (110 words)
(b)) RDA's are different for different age group and activity level. Explain. Also give energy and protein requirements for children. (110 words)

Key Points:

Growth monitoring: regular measurement of weight/height plotted on growth charts to assess health.
Monitoring methods: weight-for-age, length/height-for-age, weight-for-length/height, MUAC.
RDAs vary by age, activity level, body size, and physiological state due to differing metabolic needs.
Children have high nutrient demands per unit body weight for rapid growth and development.

Answer: The following response addresses the comprehensive aspects of growth monitoring and the variability in Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), including specific energy and protein needs for children, as per the principles taught in CFN-2.

Q3. Answer the following:

(a)) "Breast milk is the best choice for infants". Justify the statement. (110 words)
(b)) How can you minimize nutrient losses in food processing? (110 words)

Key Points:

Breast milk provides perfectly balanced, easily digestible nutrients and antibodies for infants.
Breastfeeding protects infants from infections and reduces risks of chronic diseases.
Minimize nutrient loss by quick washing and cutting vegetables just before cooking.
Steaming, stir-frying, and pressure cooking retain more nutrients than boiling.

Answer: Breast milk is widely recognized as the superior choice for infants due to its comprehensive nutritional profile and immunological benefits. It provides the perfect balance of easily digestible nutrients—fats (including essential fatty acids), carbohydrates (lactose), proteins, vitamins, and minerals—specifically tailored for an infant's growth and development. Beyond nutrition, breast milk contains vital antibodies, enzymes, and white blood cells that confer immunity, protecting infants from c...

Q4. Answer the following:

(a)) Briefly explain any two nutritional deficiencies affecting population groups in India. (110 words)
(b)) What is BMR ? Briefly explain factors affecting BMR. (110 words)

Key Points:

Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA): Widespread, causes fatigue, impaired cognition, increased infection risk.
Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD): Affects vision (night blindness, blindness) and immunity, common in children.
BMR: Minimum energy for vital functions at rest (breathing, circulation, cell activities).
Factors affecting BMR: Body size, age, gender, hormonal status (e.g., thyroid hormones).

Answer: Nutritional deficiencies significantly impact public health, particularly in developing nations like India. Two prominent examples include Iron Deficiency Anemia and Vitamin A Deficiency, affecting various population groups. Understanding such deficiencies and the body's energy requirements, such as the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and factors influencing it, is crucial for addressing public health nutrition. Iron Deficiency Anemia is characterized by insufficient iron, leading to reduced hemoglo...

Q5. What special consideration you would keep in mind while planning diet for following:

(a)) 6-12 months infant (60 words)
(b)) Elderly (60 words)
(c)) Adolescent Girl (60 words)

Key Points:

Infants (6-12m): Introduce iron/Vit A rich semi-solids, maintain hygiene, practice responsive feeding.
Elderly: Focus on nutrient-dense, easily digestible foods (protein, Ca, Vit D, B12, fiber), ensure hydration.
Adolescent Girls: High needs for energy, protein, iron, calcium due to rapid growth and menarche.
Infant diet: Gradual texture increase; avoid choking hazards, added sugar/salt/honey.

Answer: Diet planning for different age groups requires specific considerations tailored to their physiological needs, growth patterns, and potential health challenges. This ensures optimal nutrient intake for development, maintenance, and prevention of deficiencies. For infants, the focus shifts from exclusive milk to complementary feeding. Elderly individuals require easily digestible and nutrient-dense foods due to reduced physiological functions. Adolescent girls need increased nutrients to support...

Q6. Answer the following:

(a)) What are complementary foods? At what age complimentary foods should be started and what precautions should be taken while giving complimentary foods to an infant? (110 words)
(b)) How is infection and malnutrition related? Explain. (110 words)

Key Points:

Complementary foods supplement breast milk to meet infant's growing nutritional needs.
Introduce complementary foods at 6 months of age when infants show developmental readiness.
Precautions: hygiene, soft texture, one new food at a time, no added salt/sugar/honey.
Malnutrition weakens the immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections.

Answer: Complementary foods are essential for an infant's growing nutritional needs, bridging the gap when breast milk or formula alone is insufficient. They should be introduced around 6 months of age, with careful precautions regarding hygiene and food type. Simultaneously, the relationship between infection and malnutrition is a critical public health concern, forming a detrimental vicious cycle where each condition exacerbates the other, leading to poorer health outcomes, especially in vulnerable p...

Q7. Answer the following:

(a)) What points you must keep in mind while planning a packed lunch? (110 words)
(b)) What is the basis of formation of food habits? (110 words)

Key Points:

Packed lunch planning requires nutritional balance for energy and health.
Food safety is crucial, necessitating non-perishable items or proper temperature control.
Practicality and appeal enhance packed lunch consumption and variety.
Family influence is a primary factor in early food habit formation.

Answer: Planning a packed lunch involves ensuring nutritional adequacy, food safety, and practical considerations for consumption. The formation of food habits is a complex process influenced by various environmental, social, and personal factors throughout an individual's life. Both aspects are crucial for maintaining good health and promoting healthy eating patterns. Sub-question (a) addresses the practical aspects of preparing food that needs to be consumed away from home, focusing on safety, nutrit...

Q8. Answer the following:

(a)) Elaborate on the nutrition related problems of old age and what measures you would follow to meet the special needs of elderly. (160 words)
(b)) How would you justify the food fallacy of Deshi and English egg? (60 words)

Key Points:

Elderly often face decreased appetite, dental issues, and impaired nutrient absorption.
Common deficiencies in old age include Calcium, Vitamin D, and B12.
Measures for elderly nutrition involve small, frequent, nutrient-dense, and easy-to-chew meals.
Adequate hydration, fiber, lean protein, and fortified foods are crucial for senior diets.

Answer: The nutritional needs and challenges of the elderly population are distinct, requiring tailored dietary approaches. Simultaneously, common food fallacies, such as the perceived difference between 'Deshi' and 'English' eggs, need to be addressed with scientific justification to ensure informed food choices.

Q9. Answer the following:

(a)) Briefly explain the importance of anthropometric measures in assessing nutritional status. (110 words)
(b)) Define Balance Diet. Also elaborate the basis of development of food guide (110 words)

Key Points:

Anthropometric measures assess nutritional status through body dimensions like height and weight.
They identify malnutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight, obesity) in individuals and populations.
A Balanced Diet provides all essential nutrients in adequate amounts and proportions for health.
Food guides are developed based on scientific nutrient requirements (RDAs/DRIs).

Answer: Anthropometric measures are crucial tools for assessing nutritional status due to their non-invasive and cost-effective nature. They provide objective indicators of growth, body composition, and potential nutritional imbalances. A balanced diet, defined as one supplying all essential nutrients in optimal proportions, forms the foundation of good health. The development of food guides is systematically based on scientific understanding of nutrient requirements and practical dietary patterns, aimi...

Q10. What is digestion? Explain digestion of food in brief with diagram.

Key Points:

Digestion breaks complex food into simpler, absorbable molecules for body utilization.
It involves both mechanical (chewing, churning) and chemical (enzymes, acids) processes.
Mouth initiates carbohydrate digestion via salivary amylase, forming a bolus.
Stomach uses HCl and pepsin to begin protein digestion, creating chyme.

Answer: Digestion is the intricate physiological process where large, insoluble food molecules are broken down into smaller, water-soluble molecules. These simpler forms can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and utilized by the body for energy, growth, and repair. This conversion involves a combination of mechanical and chemical actions. The digestive process begins in the mouth, where food is mechanically broken down by chewing. Chemical digestion starts immediately as salivary amylase, an enzyme,...

Q1. Plan a day's diet for a lactating mother who has just delivered her child. Also mention different points you would keep in mind while planning the diet for a lactating mother.

Key Points:

Nutrients are chemical substances in food essential for growth, maintenance, and repair.
Macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins) provide energy and building blocks.
Micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals) regulate body processes and facilitate reactions.
Carbohydrates are primary energy sources; Fats provide concentrated energy and insulation.

Answer: The human body requires a variety of substances, known as nutrients, to sustain life, grow, and perform daily functions. These nutrients are broadly categorized based on the quantity required and their primary roles. Among these, water holds a uniquely indispensable position due to its involvement in virtually every physiological process.

Q2. Plan two dishes for school going child that can be given in a lunch box. Give the ingredients to be used and method of preparation.

Key Points:

Growth monitoring: regular measurement of weight/height plotted on growth charts to assess health.
Monitoring methods: weight-for-age, length/height-for-age, weight-for-length/height, MUAC.
RDAs vary by age, activity level, body size, and physiological state due to differing metabolic needs.
Children have high nutrient demands per unit body weight for rapid growth and development.

Answer: The following response addresses the comprehensive aspects of growth monitoring and the variability in Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), including specific energy and protein needs for children, as per the principles taught in CFN-2.

Q3. Record the weight and height of ten 5-year-old children in your locality. Determine their growth status using the growth charts. Comment on their health status. Record your observation in tabulated form.

Key Points:

Breast milk provides perfectly balanced, easily digestible nutrients and antibodies for infants.
Breastfeeding protects infants from infections and reduces risks of chronic diseases.
Minimize nutrient loss by quick washing and cutting vegetables just before cooking.
Steaming, stir-frying, and pressure cooking retain more nutrients than boiling.

Answer: Breast milk is widely recognized as the superior choice for infants due to its comprehensive nutritional profile and immunological benefits. It provides the perfect balance of easily digestible nutrients—fats (including essential fatty acids), carbohydrates (lactose), proteins, vitamins, and minerals—specifically tailored for an infant's growth and development. Beyond nutrition, breast milk contains vital antibodies, enzymes, and white blood cells that confer immunity, protecting infants from c...

Q4. Record a day's diet of your family members (any two) using 24-hour recall and comment on the nutritional adequacies of their diet.

Key Points:

Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA): Widespread, causes fatigue, impaired cognition, increased infection risk.
Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD): Affects vision (night blindness, blindness) and immunity, common in children.
BMR: Minimum energy for vital functions at rest (breathing, circulation, cell activities).
Factors affecting BMR: Body size, age, gender, hormonal status (e.g., thyroid hormones).

Answer: Nutritional deficiencies significantly impact public health, particularly in developing nations like India. Two prominent examples include Iron Deficiency Anemia and Vitamin A Deficiency, affecting various population groups. Understanding such deficiencies and the body's energy requirements, such as the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and factors influencing it, is crucial for addressing public health nutrition. Iron Deficiency Anemia is characterized by insufficient iron, leading to reduced hemoglo...

CFN-2 Solved Assignment — January 2026 / July 2025

Your Food and Its Utilization | IGNOU Certificate Programme in Food and Nutrition (CFN)

CFN-2—January 2026 / July 2025

Your Food and Its Utilization

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CFN-2 Assignment Questions — January 2026

Q1. Differentiate between the following:

Q2. Answer the following:

Q3. Answer the following:

Q4. Answer the following:

Q5. What special consideration you would keep in mind while planning diet for following:

Q6. Answer the following:

Q7. Answer the following:

Q8. Answer the following:

Q9. Answer the following:

Q10. What is digestion? Explain digestion of food in brief with diagram.

Q1. Plan a day's diet for a lactating mother who has just delivered her child. Also mention different points you would keep in mind while planning the diet for a lactating mother.

Q2. Plan two dishes for school going child that can be given in a lunch box. Give the ingredients to be used and method of preparation.

Q3. Record the weight and height of ten 5-year-old children in your locality. Determine their growth status using the growth charts. Comment on their health status. Record your observation in tabulated form.

Q4. Record a day's diet of your family members (any two) using 24-hour recall and comment on the nutritional adequacies of their diet.

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