Cooking for Health and Wellness

Catalog description

This course introduces the impact that diet has on health and wellness and addresses the socioeconomic and cultural barriers that often prevent the seamless integration of current and evidence-based nutrition into menu development. Students explore ways to apply theory to practice through experience-based culinary instruction. This course takes an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to bridge knowledge-deficiencies that exist in traditional healthcare, dietetics and culinary education. The course attempts to directly impact both the nutritional and sensory appeal of the foods prepared for patients and clients while also addressing the fundamental culinary skills required to improve the future personal health of the students in the course. Both instructive and vocational components are incorporated, which are intended to improve communication and understanding around how nutrition and culinary fundamentals may impact public health, as well as improving the assimilation of appropriate nutrition in the food produced and menus developed by prospective healthcare team members.