The 12th Annual Health meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference - June 2026
We look forward to seeing you for Health meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference in 2026!
The conference will be held in New Orleans June 12 through June 14.
Thursday June 11, 2026
Hands On Health meets Food Modules – Optional with Additional Fee
12:00 PM to 3:00 PM Central
Check in for those attending optional hands-on modules
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Central
Hands-on Module: Introduction to Culinary Medicine
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Central
Hands-on Module: Fats
Friday June 12, 2026
7:00 AM to 8:15 AM
Breakfast
Registration Open: All groups check in
8:15 AM to 8:30 AM Central
Opening Announcements and Conference Information
8:30 AM to 9:10 AM Central
Clinical Science of Culinary Fatty Acids: Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc
9:10 AM to 9:50 AM Central
Carbohydrates: Focus on Sugars and Non-nutritive Sweeteners vs. Artificial Sweeteners: Kimber Stanhope, Phd, RD
9:50 AM to 10:30 AM Central
Myth Busting in Nutrition: Maya Vadiveloo, PhD, RD
10:30 AM to 10:45 AM
Break
Friday Breakout Sessions
10:45 AM to 12:15 PM Central
During this period you will either attend one of the Breakout Sessions below or join us in the Lac Pontchartrain Room with Chef Karl Guggenmos. Note that you will choose either a morning or afternoon Breakout Session for this date during registration.
Breakout Sessions – Choose One at Registration
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM Central
Lunch
Roots and Tubers: Unsung Heroes
Dig in and go underground to uncover the secrets of roots and tubers—the quiet champions of the culinary world! This interactive demo will showcase how ingredients like sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, turnips, yuca, and beets can be transformed into colorful, delicious, and nutritious dishes.
All About Fats
Fats aren’t just flavor—they’re science, culture, and creativity on a plate! In this interactive cooking class, we’ll dive into the many sides of fats: functionality in cooking, taste and texture, and impact on health. Experiment with air frying, explore fat-reduction strategies and smart substitutions, and understand how different oils behave in recipes.
Cooking with Fish: From Sea to Skillet
After a step-by-step fabrication demo, participants will practice filleting a fish. With fresh fillets in hand, we’ll explore a variety of classic and flavorful techniques: en papillote, steaming, oven poaching, and grilling.
Salt, Spices, and Herbs: Mastering Flavor with Spice Blends
Turn everyday dishes into flavor explosions! Participants will learn how to balance flavors and discover tips for combining spices and herbs to suit different cuisines and cooking styles all while reducing reliance on salt. With demonstrations and tasting to expand herb and spice familiarity, participants will create a salt free spice blend to take home. The session will also explore dry vs fresh herbs, different salts, and the use of MSG.
Breaking Down Protein Needs
Confused about how much protein is really needed? Learn the facts, compare sources, and discover simple strategies to meet protein needs with food. Participants will taste protein powders, calculate protein needs, build a menu, and whip up a delicious protein-packed smoothie.
Nutrition Label to Plate
Turn nutrition knowledge into hands-on practice! In this interactive session, participants will move from reading nutrition labels to applying what they learn in real-life serving and portion scenarios. Test your skills at free pouring foods to meet serving sizes.
Cookie Challenge
How much sugar should a chef cut if a chef could cut sugar? In this interactive demo and tasting session, participants will evaluate a range of sugar concentrations and non-nutritive and artificial sweeteners on the taste, texture, and color of a basic sugar cookie.
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM Central
Lunch
1:15 PM to 2:45 PM Central
During this period you will either attend one of the Breakout Sessions below or join us in the Lac Pontchartrain Room with Chef Karl Guggenmos. Note that you will choose either a morning or afternoon Breakout Session for this date during registration.
Breakout Sessions – Choose One at Registration
Roots and Tubers: Unsung Heroes
Dig in and go underground to uncover the secrets of roots and tubers—the quiet champions of the culinary world! In this interactive demo will showcase how ingredients like sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, turnips, yuca, and beets can be transformed into colorful, delicious, and nutritious dishes.
All About Fats
Fats aren’t just flavor—they’re science, culture, and creativity on a plate! In this interactive cooking class, we’ll dive into the many sides of fats: functionality in cooking, taste and texture, and impact on health. Experiment with air frying, explore fat-reduction strategies and smart substitutions, and understand how different oils behave in recipes.
Cooking with Fish: From Sea to Skillet
After a step-by-step fabrication demo, participants will practice filleting a fish. With fresh fillets in hand, we’ll explore a variety of classic and flavorful techniques: en papillote, steaming, oven poaching, and grilling.
Salt, Spices, and Herbs: Mastering Flavor with Spice Blends
Turn everyday dishes into flavor explosions! Participants will learn how to balance flavors and discover tips for combining spices and herbs to suit different cuisines and cooking styles all while reducing reliance on salt. With demonstrations and tasting to expand herb and spice familiarity, participants will create a salt free spice blend to take home. The session will also explore dry vs fresh herbs, different salts, and the use of MSG.
Breaking Down Protein Needs
Confused about how much protein is really needed? Learn the facts, compare sources, and discover simple strategies to meet protein needs with food. Participants will taste protein powders, calculate protein needs, build a menu, and whip up delicious protein-packed smoothie.
Nutrition Label to Plate
Turn nutrition knowledge into hands-on practice! In this interactive session, participants will move from reading nutrition labels to applying what they learn in real-life serving and portion scenarios. Test your skills at free pouring foods to meet serving sizes.
Cookie Challenge
How much sugar should a chef cut if a chef could cut sugar? In this interactive demo and tasting session participants will evaluate a range of sugar concentrations, non-nutritive and artificial sweeteners on the taste, texture and color of a basic sugar cookie.
1:15 PM to 2:45 PM Central
During this period you will either attend one of the Breakout Sessions below or join us in the Lac Pontchartrain Room with Chef Karl Guggenmos. Note that you will choose either a morning or afternoon Breakout Session for this date during registration.
Breakout Sessions – Choose One at Registration
3:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Nancy Kistler Scholarship Award; ACCM Fellowship Awards
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM Central
Panel Discussion with Friday morning presenters
Saturday June 13, 2026
7:00 AM to 8:30 AM
Breakfast
Registration Open: All groups check in
8:30 AM to 9:10 AM Central
Protein – Requirements and Clinical Implications: David Church, PhD, CSCS*D
9:10 AM to 9:50 AM Central
Protein – Current Trends, Myths, Fads: Stephan Van Vliet, PhD
9:50 AM to 10:30 AM Central
Protein – Plant Based Nutrition, Culture, & Sustainability: Matthew J. Landry, PhD, RDN
10:30 AM to 10:45 AM Central
Break
Saturday Breakout Sessions
10:45 AM to 12:15 PM Central
During this period you will either attend the Breakout Session below in one of the classrooms or join us in the Lac Pontchartrain Room with Angela Fals, MD, FAAP, DABOM, CCMS, speaking on “Implementation and Growth of Culinary Medicine in GME.” Note that you will choose either a morning or afternoon Breakout Session for this date during registration.
Mystery Box Challenge
The Mystery Box Challenge will put your culinary medicine knowledge and skills into practice with the reality of barriers one faces when trying to cook and eat healthfully such as time constraints, access to food and equipment, physical abilities/ medical conditions, and more. Working in teams, participants will be tasked with creating a dish that incorporates culinary medicine principles using only the ingredients and equipment provided. This challenge is not about perfection but understanding how patients must balance the realities of everyday stressors and challenges with the goals they strive for.
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM Central
Lunch
1:15 PM to 2:45 PM Central
During this period you will either attend the Breakout Session below in one of the classrooms or join us in the Lac Pontchartrain Room with Angela Fals, MD, FAAP, DABOM, CCMS, speaking on “Implementation and Growth of Culinary Medicine in GME.” Note that you will choose either a morning or afternoon Breakout Session for this date during registration.
Mystery Box Challenge
The Mystery Box Challenge will put your culinary medicine knowledge and skills into practice with the reality of barriers one faces when trying to cook and eat healthfully such as time constraints, access to food and equipment, physical abilities/ medical conditions, and more. Working in teams, participants will be tasked with creating a dish that incorporates culinary medicine principles using only the ingredients and equipment provided. This challenge is not about perfection but understanding how patients must balance the realities of everyday stressors and challenges with the goals they strive for.
2:45 PM to 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 PM to 3:30 PM Central
All will attend a Breakout Session Review to discuss our experiences with the Mystery Box Challenge!
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM Central
Panel Discussion with Saturday morning presenters
Sunday June 14, 2026
Sunday Morning Conference Presentations at Delgado Community College
9:00 AM to 9:40 AM Central
Building a Culinary Medicine Program: Multispecialty Clinics: David D. Dungan, MD, FACP, FAAP, CCMS
9:40 AM to 10:20 AM Central
Building a Culinary Medicine Program in Dietetics: Amy Moyer, M.Ed., RDN, LDN, CCMS
10:20 AM to 11:00 AM Central
Building a Culinary Medicine Program in Culinary: Chef Elizabeth DeRose, CCMP
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM Central
Panel Discussion with Sunday morning presenters
Hands On Health meets Food Module – Optional with Additional Fee
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM Central
Hands-on Module: Protein, Amino Acids, Vegetarian Diets, and Eating Disorders
