OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
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Course OCR-GCSE-Food-Preparation-and-Nutrition
Course version · OCR-GCSE-Food-Preparation-and-NutritionVersion from Mar 2026Change version
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Explore your topics
32 topics
Course topics32 topics
- Minerals (Micronutrients)
- FOOD PROVENANCE:
- Judge and manipulate sensory properties
- Section B: Food (food provenance and food choice)
- Vitamins (Micronutrients)
- Food Science
- Set a mixture
- Food processing and production
- Preparation and techniques
- Factors influencing food choice
- Sensory properties
- Nutritional needs when selecting recipes for different groups of people
12 of 32 shown
Assessment and exam guidance
What Gets Top Grades
A*/Grade 9
Knowledge & Understanding
Demonstrates comprehensive and accurate knowledge
- Uses correct subject-specific terminology
- Shows detailed understanding of concepts
- Makes accurate connections between topics
- Demonstrates depth beyond surface-level knowledge
Application
Applies knowledge effectively to new contexts
- Selects relevant knowledge for the question
- Adapts understanding to unfamiliar scenarios
- Uses examples appropriately
- Shows awareness of context
Analysis & Evaluation
Develops sophisticated analytical arguments
- Constructs logical chains of reasoning
- Considers multiple perspectives
- Weighs evidence to reach justified conclusions
- Acknowledges limitations and nuances
Key Command Words
OCR
State
1 mark
Give a single fact or term
Identify
1 mark
Name or select
Describe
2-4 marks
Account of process or features
Explain
3-6 marks
Give reasons with BUSINESS-FACING outcomes
Analyse
6-9 marks
Examine methodically showing cause→effect→outcome
Evaluate
9-12 marks
Judge, weigh up evidence, reach SYNOPTIC conclusion
Tips and common mistakes
Common Exam Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exams
- •Failing to link specific nutrients or food groups to the prevention of specific diseases
- •Confusing the roles of different macronutrients in maintaining health
- •Inaccurate application of government guidelines to specific dietary scenarios
- •Generalising health impacts without referencing physiological or psychological effects
- •Confusing High Biological Value (HBV) and Low Biological Value (LBV) protein sources.
- •Inaccurate calculation of energy values or nutritional data.
- •Failing to link nutritional theory to practical recipe modification.
- •Misunderstanding the difference between BMR and PAL in energy balance calculations.
Top Examiner Tips
Expert advice for exam success
- •Ensure you can link specific minerals to their physiological functions rather than just listing them.
- •Be prepared to identify food sources for each mineral as part of a balanced diet.
- •Understand the link between mineral deficiency and specific diet-related health conditions.
- •Ensure you can explain the link between specific dietary habits and the development of chronic conditions
- •Be prepared to apply government healthy eating guidelines to different life stages
- •Use precise terminology when discussing diet-related diseases
- •Practice interpreting nutritional data to assess the healthiness of a diet
- •Ensure you can distinguish between fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins as this affects how they are stored and lost during cooking
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