Nutrition: JAMB Physical and Health Education Questions, Answers & Notes

What Nutrition covers in the JAMB Physical and Health Education syllabus

Nutrition is the process of taking in and using food for health, growth and energy. A balanced diet contains all the food classes in the right proportions, taken regularly; it supports proper growth and development and helps the body resist disease. A shortage or excess of certain nutrients causes malnutrition. Deficiency diseases include kwashiorkor (severe protein deficiency, mainly in children), scurvy (lack of vitamin C), rickets (lack of vitamin D and calcium — weak, bent bones in children), anaemia (lack of iron — shortage of red blood) and poor night vision/eye problems (lack of vitamin A). At the other extreme, eating too much fatty and sugary food can lead to obesity. The main point: good nutrition means eating a balanced diet to stay healthy and avoid malnutrition and deficiency diseases.

For Nutrition, JAMB expects you to be able to:

• Define nutrition and a balanced diet (all food classes in right proportions)
• Explain malnutrition (deficiency or excess) and its effects
• Recall deficiency diseases (kwashiorkor, scurvy, rickets, anaemia, vitamin A eye problems) and obesity from excess

Key facts & revision notes: Nutrition

These are the recurring points our Nutrition questions test — revise them until each feels automatic, then practise the questions above to lock them in.

• Nutrition is the process of taking in and using food for health, growth and energy.
• A balanced diet contains all the food classes in the right proportions.
• A shortage or excess of certain nutrients causes malnutrition.
• Kwashiorkor is caused by severe protein deficiency, mainly in children.
• Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C.
• A deficiency of vitamin A can cause poor night vision and other eye problems.
• A deficiency of iron can cause anaemia (shortage of red blood).
• A deficiency of vitamin D and calcium can cause rickets (weak, bent bones) in children.
• Eating too much fatty and sugary food can lead to obesity (overweight).
• Good nutrition helps the body grow, work well and resist diseases.
• A balanced diet supports proper growth and development.
• Scurvy is a deficiency disease (from lack of vitamin C).
• A balanced diet should be taken regularly for good health.
• Nutrition is taking in and using food.
• A diet with all food classes in the right amounts is balanced.
• Kwashiorkor results from severe protein deficiency.
• Iron deficiency causes anaemia.
• Too much sugary and fatty food can cause obesity.
• Good nutrition helps the body resist disease.
• The main point is that good nutrition means eating a balanced diet to stay healthy and avoid malnutrition and deficiency diseases.

Worked examples

Three Nutrition questions with the answer and a short explanation, so you can see how the topic is set before you practise the full set.

How Nutrition is tested in JAMB Physical and Health Education

Our Nutrition bank holds 20 questions (2 easy, 12 medium, 6 hard). JAMB Physical and Health Education typically returns to Nutrition year after year, so steady practice on this topic is high-value revision. Questions are multiple-choice with four options, and at UTME pace you get roughly 40 seconds each — which is why timed practice matters.

How to answer Nutrition questions

Work the stem first and predict the answer before you look at the options; then eliminate the ones that contradict the key facts above. Watch for “which is not…”, “all of the above” and “except” style stems, which are where rushed candidates lose easy marks on Nutrition. If a calculation or a precise definition is involved, work it from first principles rather than guessing from a half-remembered rule. When two options look right, re-read the stem for the qualifier that separates them — JAMB rarely repeats an option by accident. If you are still unsure, eliminate the two weakest choices to lift your odds, flag the question, and move on; never burn a full minute on one Physical and Health Education item when the exam gives you about forty seconds each. Then come back to flagged questions with whatever time remains. The single most reliable way to get faster at Nutrition is repeated timed practice, so use the button above until the recurring patterns feel automatic.

Common mistakes to avoid in Nutrition

The errors that cost marks on Nutrition are usually careless rather than conceptual: misreading a negative stem, confusing two similar terms, or rushing a definition you actually know. Candidates also over-rely on “expo” and last-minute cramming instead of understanding the topic — which fails the moment JAMB rephrases a familiar idea. Treat every option as a claim to be checked against the facts above, keep your working tidy for any calculation, and don’t change a considered answer on a hunch. Above all, revise Nutrition actively by answering questions, not just by re-reading notes — recall under time is what the exam rewards.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nutrition part of the JAMB Physical and Health Education syllabus?

Yes. Nutrition is a recognised topic in the JAMB Physical and Health Education syllabus, covering define nutrition and a balanced diet (all food classes in right proportions). You should be able to recall its key facts and apply them to multiple-choice questions.

How many Nutrition questions can I practise on Belmadeng?

There are 20 original, JAMB-standard Nutrition questions in our free bank, each with the correct answer and a worked explanation. You can practise them untimed or as a timed test.

What are the most important points to know about Nutrition?

Nutrition is the process of taking in and using food for health, growth and energy. A balanced diet contains all the food classes in the right proportions, taken regularly; it supports proper growth and development and helps the body resist disease. A shortage or excess of certain nutrients causes m…

How do I answer Nutrition questions quickly in JAMB?

Read the stem carefully, eliminate clearly wrong options, and match the remaining choices to the key facts for Nutrition. Practising timed Nutrition questions builds the speed you need for UTME's pace of about 40 seconds per question.

Are these JAMB Physical and Health Education Nutrition questions past questions or original?

They are original questions written to JAMB (UTME) standard and mapped to the official syllabus — not reproduced past papers. This keeps them legal to use freely while closely mirroring how the real exam tests the topic.

Where can I practise Nutrition questions free without signing up?

Right here — tap “Start Nutrition practice” on this page to begin instantly. Belmadeng's CBT practice is completely free and needs no sign-up, download or subscription.

About these questions: original, JAMB-standard items written from the official UTME Physical and Health Education syllabus (last reviewed 2026-09-18). Belmadeng is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with JAMB. Spotted an error? Use the report link.