West Bengal Board Class 12 Nutrition syllabus covers food digestion, nutrient metabolism, food safety, diet planning and community health. You will also find topics related to nutrition during pregnancy and infancy, dietary management of common diseases, nutritional deficiencies and national nutrition programmes. The practical component includes food adulteration tests, diet preparation, nutritive value calculations and community-based activities.
To help you check the complete syllabus in one place, the sections below organise the theory topics by subject area and unit. The tables retain the marks specified in the syllabus while excluding contact hours and semester-wise divisions.
The chapter-wise syllabus is organised below by major Nutrition topics and their units. Each table includes the prescribed content and the marks assigned to the relevant unit.
|
Unit |
Chapter/Topic |
Syllabus |
Marks |
|
Unit I |
Biochemical and Biophysical Aspects in Nutrition |
Definition and examples of enzymes; characteristic features and enzyme activity; coenzymes, cofactors, prosthetic groups, apoenzymes, holoenzymes and regulatory enzymes; types of enzymes, especially digestive and metabolic enzymes. Biophysical processes related to absorption, including diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion, active transport and passive transport. |
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|
Unit I |
Breakdown of Food: Digestion and Absorption |
Alimentary system and parts of the alimentary canal; digestion process, sites, digestive juices, sources, components and functions of saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, succus entericus and bile; digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. |
12 |
|
Unit |
Chapter/Topic |
Syllabus |
Marks |
|
Unit II |
Metabolism of Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats |
Meaning and types of metabolism; carbohydrate metabolism, Cori cycle, blood sugar regulation, hormonal role, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and glycosuria; glycolysis, TCA cycle and glycogenolysis; glycogenesis and gluconeogenesis; protein metabolism, amino acid pool, deamination, urea synthesis through the ornithine cycle, transamination, decarboxylation, transmethylation and site of protein synthesis; beta-oxidation and ketone bodies. Metabolic pathways are to be presented using flow charts. |
13 |
|
Unit II |
Energy Requirements of Humans and Concept of Calorie |
Calorie concept; measurement of the calorie value of food; human energy requirements; physiological fuel value of food; specific dynamic action (SDA); basal metabolic rate (BMR) and factors controlling it; reference man and woman; energy requirements during rest, physical activities and different physiological conditions, as per ICMR 2020. |
|
Unit |
Chapter/Topic |
Syllabus |
Marks |
|
Unit III |
Spoilage of Food and Food Poisoning |
Classification of food according to shelf life; common microorganisms found in different foods; causes of food spoilage; food poisoning, including causes or sources, symptoms and preventive measures, with examples such as Salmonella, Rotavirus, Coliform, Clostridium and Streptococcal poisoning. |
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Unit III |
Food Safety and Preservation |
Food sanitation practices; food safety rules; HACCP; origin and significance of FSSAI; Codex Alimentarius; objectives and advantages of food preservation; household methods such as freezing, drying and blanching; commercial methods such as aseptic canning, pasteurisation, fish smoking and irradiation; preservation using chemicals, sugar, salt, oil and spices; Class I and Class II preservatives; common food additives; food adulteration; PFA Act; and the origin of ISI and AGMARK. |
10 |
|
Unit |
Chapter/Topic |
Syllabus |
Marks |
|
Unit I |
Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation |
Pregnancy as a physiologically demanding condition; complications and symptoms; nutritional allowances and balanced diets for pregnant women and lactating mothers. |
19 |
|
Unit I |
Nutrition for Infants |
Colostrum and mature breast milk, their composition and significance in infant growth and development; elementary concept of top milk; breastfeeding versus artificial feeding; nutritional allowances; weaning and types of weaning foods; malting of food, multipurpose food and Bal Ahar; infant feeding problems and defective feeding practices associated with malnourishment. |
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|
Unit I |
Diet Therapy in Common Diseases |
Concepts and objectives of dietetics and diet therapy; modification of normal diets into therapeutic diets, including changes in feeding techniques, consistency and constituents. Dietary principles for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, coronary heart disease, gout, febrile conditions, typhoid, tuberculosis and cancer. Diet for gastric disorders such as peptic ulcer, diarrhoea, constipation, celiac disease and IBS; renal disorders such as acute and chronic nephritis and renal stones; and liver and gallbladder diseases such as jaundice, viral hepatitis, cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. |
|
Unit |
Chapter/Topic |
Syllabus |
Marks |
|
Unit II |
Common Deficiency Diseases and National Nutrition Programmes |
Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), its types, prevention and treatment; vitamin A deficiency and NAPPNB; nutritional anaemia and NNAPP; iodine deficiency disorders and NIDDCP; osteoporosis, osteomalacia, rickets and scurvy; National Diarrhoeal Disease Control Programme (NDDCP). |
16 |
|
Unit II |
Supplementary Feeding Programmes and Organisations |
Relationship between RDA, RDI and supplementary feeding; ICDS; MDMP, Poshan Abhiyaan and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme; National Food Security Act; roles of FAO, WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, NIN, NNMB, FNB, CINI and CFTRI in combating malnutrition. |
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Unit II |
Nutrition Education for the Community |
Objectives and principles of nutrition education; centres and aids for nutrition education; methods of nutrition education; cooking demonstrations as a tool for nutrition education. |
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Unit II |
Nutritive Value of Foods |
Use of food exchange lists; calculation of the nutritive value of food using food value tables. |
You can check the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) website for the latest Class 12 Nutrition syllabus PDF for the 2026–27 academic session.
Study without using the internet
You can prepare for Nutrition by understanding the theory topics, revising key concepts, and practising the calculations and activities included in the practical syllabus. The following steps can help you cover the main subject areas and prepare for both assessments.
Divide the syllabus by topic: Study digestion and absorption, metabolism, food safety, dietetics, and community nutrition separately. You can also check the PW West Bengal Board resources for board-related academic information.
Prepare concise notes: Record key definitions, enzyme functions, metabolic processes, food preservation methods, and important nutrition-related terms.
Revise metabolic pathways: Practise flow charts for glycolysis, the TCA cycle, glycogenolysis, glycogenesis, and gluconeogenesis.
Understand digestion and absorption: Learn the functions of digestive juices and the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Compare dietary requirements: Revise nutritional needs during pregnancy, lactation, and infancy, including breastfeeding, weaning, and balanced diets.
Study diet therapy: Review the basic dietary principles for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, digestive disorders, renal disorders, and other conditions listed in the syllabus.
Revise food safety: Study food spoilage, food poisoning, preservation methods, food adulteration, and food safety standards.
Learn community nutrition programmes: Revise nutritional deficiency diseases, national nutrition programmes, supplementary feeding initiatives, and organisations working in nutrition. For board-related announcements, check the WBCHSE Class 12 notification.
Practise nutritive value calculations: Use food value tables and food exchange lists to calculate the nutritive value of different food items.
Prepare for practical assessment: Practise the prescribed adulterant detection tests, diet preparation tasks, nutritive value calculations, and community nutrition project activities.
Maintain your laboratory notebook: Complete practical records and revise the procedures and concepts that may be covered in the viva voce.
Plan your board exam preparation: The West Bengal Board batches by PW offer learning options to support your Class 12 studies and revision across subjects.
A clear understanding of the WBCHSE Class 12 Nutrition syllabus can help you plan your studies across theory and practical assessments. Focus on digestion, metabolism, food safety, diet planning, and community nutrition, while also practising food adulteration tests, diet preparation, nutritive value calculations, and project work. Use the unit-wise marks to organise your revision and ensure you cover all the prescribed topics before the examination.
