What is Culinary Medicine?

What is Culinary Medicine?

Culinary Medicine is an evolving field that seeks to enable individuals to take charge of their health through the food they eat, promoting a culture of wellness and prevention. Culinary Medicine involves health practitioner-led culinary nutrition interventions and/or activities. At its best, it is a dynamic and interdisciplinary endeavor.

As dietary patterns and lifestyle changes gain recognition in preventing and managing chronic diseases, the need for fields of study and education, such as Culinary Medicine, to improve knowledge, access to healthy food, cooking skills, and overall food environment for lasting health benefits becomes increasingly evident.

Culinary Medicine is defined by the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine as 'a new evidence-based field that blends the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine.' But today, it has evolved into much more than that.

Culinary medicine is an evidence-based approach that combines nutrition science with culinary expertise to empower individuals to manage and even prevent chronic disease through mindful dietary choices. By selecting nutritious, (and delicious) high-quality foods alongside proper medical care, patients can maintain their health and reduce the risk of food-related illnesses.

Despite its growing popularity, misconceptions about the true nature of culinary medicine persist. This article seeks to clarify these misunderstandings.

What misconceptions exist about culinary medicine?

Misconception 1: Culinary Medicine is just about nutrition or dietetics.

• Although a core component, Culinary Medicine goes beyond only nutrition- it focuses on practical skills like food shopping, meal planning, preparation, and storage aiming to create lasting positive behavior changes through cooking. 

Misconception 2: Culinary Medicine is only for certain types of people or diseases.

• Culinary Medicine can benefit anyone who wants to improve their health through food and cooking. It can be used to prevent and manage a wide range of health conditions including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Misconception 3: Culinary Medicine is a substitute for medical treatment.

• While Culinary Medicine can complement traditional medical treatment, it is not a replacement. It is most effective when integrated into a broader healthcare plan and used in conjunction with traditional medical treatment to improve health outcomes.

Misconception 4: Culinary Medicine is a one size fits all approach.

• Culinary Medicine recognizes the uniqueness of every person. It avoids generic advice; instead, it modifies recommendations to meet specific nutritional, medical, and cultural needs for each individual.

Misconception 5: Culinary Medicine is just cooking classes.

• Though cooking classes are a component, Culinary Medicine extends beyond the kitchen. It incorporates the science of food, the art of meal preparation, and it empowers individuals to implement these skills into their daily lives in a delicious and nutritious manner.

How is Culinary Medicine incorporated into Nutrition Education?

Culinary Medicine aims to teach nutrition principles that enhance patient care through cost-effective, scalable approaches, while promoting skills that support personal dietary well-being.

Culinary Medicine focuses on helping you feel empowered to enjoy a variety of foods, emphasizing what you can add to your plate- using the ingredients you already have at home (or even venture to try new ones)- and making them both nutritious and delicious. This approach overlaps with nutrition education principles by promoting healthy, practical eating habits that are sustainable, personalized, and centered on improving overall well-being.

Culinary Medicine recognizes that many of us have busy lives and can’t cook from scratch every day. However, by adding simple options like a salad- quickly made with fresh dressing or grilled vegetables, just seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon- we can improve our eating habits and support long term health.

In what ways does Culinary Medicine empower individuals to make healthier food choices?

By explaining how different foods impact the body and teaching practical cooking skills, Culinary Medicine turns healthy eating into an enjoyable experience rather than a task. Lessons can include knife skills, cooking techniques, and the benefits of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Culinary Medicine brings together evidence-based nutrition and the culinary arts, focusing on understanding the “why” behind food choices. This approach empowers people with nutritional knowledge, helping them see food in a new positive way.

What role do healthcare professionals play in promoting and teaching culinary medicine?

Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in promoting and teaching culinary medicine by integrating nutrition and culinary knowledge into practice, educating patients about eating health and advocating for culinary medicine training in healthcare. The more healthcare professionals understand how to prepare healthy, delicious meals, the more supportive they can be to their patients in making sustainable lifestyle changes.

Culinary Medicine can be used to provide group medical visits (also called shared medical appointments SMA) where multiple patients with similar conditions meet together. This allows clinicians to spend more time with patients while still providing personalized care.

At the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, we have piloted group medical visits in the form of teaching kitchens through our NextGen Chefs program. In these sessions, an interdisciplinary team- including doctors, registered dietitians, diabetes educators, and an art therapist- learn to prepare and taste delicious, health supportive meals that can improve blood sugar levels and overall, well-being. Before the sessions, diabetes educators and doctors can quickly review participants’ blood sugar levels and hemoglobin A1C, making any necessary adjustments. This process allows the visits to be billed and covered by insurance.

What does culinary medicine's future look like in the context of evolving healthcare practices?

Culinary Medicine is set for growth as healthcare continues to adopt a more holistic approach, prioritizing patient empowerment and interdisciplinary collaboration. By incorporating nutrition into all areas of medical education and practice, it fills critical gaps often missing in traditional healthcare models. A recent expert panel proposed nutrition competencies for medical students and physician trainees to receive professional education on nutrition and diet for prevention of diet-related disease during their training.

In fact, here at our institution at NYP-Columbia, we run a monthly nutrition education workshop with our Pediatric Residents on Social Determinates of Health (SDoH), Food Insecurity and Introduction to Culinary Medicine. We discuss SDoH and how to integrate nutrition counseling in patient visits followed by a hands-on cooking demonstration and tasting the recipes, they make. A recent study stated “Patients take advice from General Practitioners who practice what they preach” and highlighted the need for health providers to embrace, promote and feel confident discussing a healthy lifestyle.

Understanding what Culinary Medicine is and what it isn’t is key to maximizing its benefits. By staying rooted in evidence-based principles, this emerging field can play a significant role in improving health outcomes for individuals and communities.

Special thanks for their edits and contributions:

Kaylee Seekon, MS, RD, CDN, CDES,

Kyle Murray, MS, RD, CDES

Kyle Schoeneborn, IHN Master’s Student