Research Posters Presented as part of the 2025 Culinary Medicine Conference
The research posters below were presented at Health meets Food: the Culinary Medicine Conference in 2025.
Graduate Medical Education Residents’ Perceptions of Culinary Medicine as a Pathway to Enhanced Well-Being: Insights from Two Years of Data
Corresponding author/presenter: Gina Drobena, MD
Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Email Address: GADrobena@uams.edu
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Culinary medicine is emerging as a valuable tool in graduate medical education, bridging nutrition science and clinical practice. A 2023-2024 study at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences evaluated a culinary medicine wellness workshop for medical residents and fellows. Funded by an institutional grant, the workshop aimed to enhance well-being through hands-on culinary experiences and education on the Mediterranean diet. Sessions included meal preparation, a plating competition, didactic lessons, and reflective discussions. Participants provided feedback via a post-event survey, assessing perceived benefit, enjoyment, speaker quality, and satisfaction. Results showed high satisfaction, with attendees appreciating the practical cooking skills and relevance to both personal and professional lives. Most participants would recommend the workshop to colleagues and expressed a desire for more culinary medicine experiences. The findings highlight the positive impact of culinary medicine workshops on residents’ education and well-being.
Evaluation of an online teaching kitchen program on nutrition and biometrics of patients with modifiable chronic disease
Corresponding author/presenter: Marguerite Furlong
Institution: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Email: mmf144@georgetown.edu
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No summary available.
Improving Picky Eating Counseling by Residents in a Continuity Clinic Using an Interactive Educational Tool
Corresponding author/presenter: Emmy Grinstead MD
Institution: Corewell Health, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Email: mary.grinstead@corewellhealth.org
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Picky eating is a difficult chief complaint to address in the general pediatric office. At our residency clinic in Grand Rapids, MI we utilized the ChopChop Eatable Alphabet as a tool to approach the discussion of picky eating with pediatric patients and parents. The child and parent can engage with the interactive cards, while the resident approaches discussion about adding these foods to a picky diet. To address the benefit of the alphabet cards as a picky eating tool, we utilized short surveys to assess resident comfort with addressing picky eating before and after the tool and assessed parent satisfaction with the picky eating discussion.
Streamlining Knowledge: The Development of a Culinary Medicine Research Database
Corresponding author/presenter: Aloysius James Hora, Hannah Harris, Trinity Rico
Institution: The George Washington University
Email: ajhora@gwmail.gwu.edu, hannah.harris@gwmail.gwu.edu, trinitypauline.rico@gwmail.gwu.edu
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The Culinary Medicine research database was developed to improve accessibility for academics, scientists, the Culinary Medicine Clinical Practice Committee, and the public. Due to the absence of PubMed MeSH terms, our group established definitions for key search terms to guide article retrieval. A literature search was conducted and vetted articles were uploaded to Zotero, where student researchers categorized and tagged articles based on predefined criteria. To maintain organization, the number of tags was limited to 20, while 50 primary categories were created for streamlined searches. As of February 2025, the database includes 239 articles and has 324 registered desktop users. This initiative provides a structured, user-friendly resource for Culinary Medicine research and is expected to expand over time, requiring ongoing updates and management to accommodate the field’s growth.
Effect of Culinary Medicine Curriculum on Biometric Outcomes and Dietary Quality of Heart Failure Patients
Corresponding author/presenter: Yajing Ji
Institution: Corewell Health West, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Email: yajing.ji@corewellhealth.org
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Diet is an important component of heart failure management, and good dietary quality improves heart failure symptoms and reduces hospitalization. However, the implantation of the dietary recommendations remains challenging, with inadequate food literacy as a key barrier. Culinary medicine demonstrates a great potential to improve food literacy. The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of our culinary intervention on dietary quality and biometric outcomes of heart failure patients. Additionally, we test hypothesis that patients maintain improved dietary quality long-term following Culinary Medicine courses. Our feasibility study of applying culinary medicine in the dietary education will help future design of tailored culinary classes for heart failure patients and help create better assessment tools of dietary literacy and quality. These are valuable to further investigate the effect of culinary medicine in heart failure management.
Effects of a Culinary Medicine Class on Cancer- Related Fatigue Management
Corresponding author/presenter: Abigail Knowles MCN, RD, LD, Laurel Weaver MCN, RD, Milette Siler MBA-HC, RDN, LD, CCMS
Institution: UT Southwestern Medical Center, Moncrief Cancer Institute
Email: abigail.knowles@utsouthwestern.edu, laureldyani@gmail.com, milette.siler@moncrief.com
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Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is persistent and debilitating fatigue caused by cancer or its treatment. Current guidelines recommend those with CRF increase physical activity and consume a high-quality diet that meet the individual’s calorie and protein needs.2 This retrospective phone survey assessed patients and caregivers’ confidence in their management of CRF and lifestyle habits after participating in a culinary medicine class about CRF management. Fifty eight percent of the respondents were still experiencing CRF four months after class completion. Participants had a mode and mean confidence of 3 out of 5 in their ability to manage CRF fatigue and a median confidence of 4.5 and a mode confidence of 5 in their ability to know which foods will help improve energy levels. Participants reported that the class was helpful for introducing them to new foods, increasing their nutrition knowledge and motivating them to be physically active.
Evaluation of a Pre-Pregnancy Whole Person Care Program to Support Nutrition Related Biomarkers Among People Planning Pregnancy
Corresponding author/presenter: Marisa Nwoke BSN,RN; Karen Lindsay PhD,RDN
Institution: University of California Irvine School of Medicine
Email: mnwoke@hs.uci.edu
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This study evaluates a Pre-pregnancy Whole Person Care Program designed to optimize nutrition-related biomarkers among women planning to conceive. Conducted at a Southern California Integrative Health Institute, the program included 10 participants who received naturopathic consultations, culinary medicine education, and Mindful Self-Compassion training over three months. Biomarkers such as hemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin D, folate, omega-6/3 ratio, glucose control, and insulin resistance were measured pre- and post-program. Participants were from diverse demographics, with most being highly educated and from high-income households. Nutritional deficiencies and untreated medical conditions affecting fertility were detected. Some biomarker improvements were observed, which may have resulted from nutritional supplementation rather than dietary changes alone. The short intervention period may have limited measurable changes in glycemic control. Future program enhancements include extending the duration, integrating acupuncture, personalized nutrition counseling, structured fitness, and virtual options. These refinements aim to create a more comprehensive, accessible, and effective preconception care model.
Effect of In-kitchen Culinary Medicine Education Intervention on Emergency Medical Service Personnel
Corresponding author/presenter: Sara Palmieri
Institution: Corewell Health – Lakeland Hospitals
Email: sararebeca.palmierifermin@corewellhealth.org
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The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community work long and unpredictable hours (making food preparation difficult) and more than 70% of EMS personnel are overweight and at risk for many diseases (Mansouri et al., 2022; Mountfort & Wilson, 2022). This is likely due to increased intake of Food Away from Home (FAFH), which contains fewer fruits and vegetables, but more calories, fat, and sodium than food prepared at home and is associated with obesity (Saksena et al., 2018). The current study provided an opportunity for EMS personnel to participate in a culinary medicine course, assessing the impact of this intervention on their dietary habits and overall well-being. The results of 6 participants pre- and post-intervention are discussed, and a follow-up survey will be distributed 4 weeks after the course. Environmental mastery and anxiety approached significance. Implications and future directions, including longitudinal follow-up and investigating this intervention in nursing staff, are discussed.
A Programmatic Review of a Culinary Medicine Program at West Virginia University School of Medicine
Corresponding author/presenter: Josh Peterson, Andrea Hincapie Bendeck, Christina Mounzer, Dr. Rosemarie Lorenzetti
Institution: West Virginia University School of Medicine
Email: jxp00002@mix.wvu.edu, ah00089@mix.wvu.edu, cmm00071@mix.wvu.edu
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The “Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track” (CLMT) at West Virginia University School of Medicine (WVSOM) provides undergraduate medical students with unique opportunities to engage in community-based nutrition education while pursing lifestyle medicine training. This programmatic review evaluates student participation in CLMT and its impact on patient care. The study uses mixed methods, including surveys and questionnaires, to gather feedback from CLMT graduates from the class of 2022 and 2023. Results show that since 2017, 40 students have graduated from the track, with 12 passing the Certified Culinary Medical Specialist exam at a 100% success rate. All students participate in community-based nutrition and wellness initiatives. Exit survey data reveals that graduates report increased confidence in applying nutrition principles in clinical settings, which supports their ability to address nutrition and lifestyle concerns in their future practices. The CLMT exemplifies a shift in medical education, integrating practical nutrition knowledge into real-world patient care.
NOURISH: Collaborating with a Local Food Truck to Promote a Balanced Diet Culturally Tailored for the Asian American Population
Corresponding author/presenter: Minal Moharir MD, Stephanie Ibe BS, Reha Shah BS, Grace Koo BS, Samantha Wong, Sania Srivastava1, Shreeya Moharir BS, Lily Phan RD, MS, CNSC, Kevin Bach BBA, Linda Koh PhD RN, Claire Xu
Institution: 1Stanford Department of Primary Care and Population Health; 2Stanford Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Health Center; Stanford, CA. 3Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst, MA.
Email: mmoharir@stanford.edu stephibe@stanford.edu rshah5@stanford.edu saniasri@stanford.edu gracekoo@stanford.edu samwong8@stanford.edu smoharir@stanford.edu lmkoh@umass.edu xclaire@stanford.edu
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NOURISH is a Stanford Medicine initiative dedicated to reducing morbidity and mortality from diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases among Asian populations by utilizing culturally tailored nutritional recipes and educational content to foster sustainable dietary practices. Collaborating with Akita Sushi, a local business serving Japanese cuisine through food trucks, NOURISH modified traditional recipes to align with the American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association guidelines.
A Retrospective Analysis of the Acceptability and Effectiveness of Patient Programming at the Yale New Haven Health Teaching Kitchen
Corresponding author/presenter: Heran Essayas, Eileen Lee, Max Goldstein, Amy Ralph, Joseph Mendes, Nate Wood
Institution: Yale School of Medicine and the Irving and Alice Brown Teaching Kitchen at Yale New Haven Health
Email: nathan.wood@yale.edu
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Founded in 2023, the Irving and Alice Brown Teaching Kitchen at Yale New Haven Health offers free culinary medicine classes to patients. Using the Health meets Food curriculum, the Teaching Kitchen employs hands-on cooking instruction to help patients build their confidence in selecting and preparing healthy foods. Over 300 unique patients attended a class in the Teaching Kitchen in its first year of operation. Our retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of the classes and elicited participant feedback, specifically focusing on whether the classes were acceptable, provided helpful nutritional knowledge, and made cooking more enjoyable. Our study demonstrates that patients find the Teaching Kitchen instrumental in increasing their nutritional knowledge and culinary skills. Most patients reported an overall positive experience and expressed their desire to return for future classes. These results highlight that the Teaching Kitchen can serve as a fun and engaging way to improve patients’ dietary habits and lifestyles.
Establishing the Culinary Medicine Initiative: A Cooking and STEM Education Program for New Orleans Youth
Corresponding author/presenter: Michael Yang
Institution: Tulane University School of Medicine
Email: myang12@tulane.edu
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Louisiana is the state with the third highest rate of childhood obesity. In the spring of 2023, Tulane University student Michael Yang founded the Culinary Medicine Initiative (CMI), a free cooking and STEM education program that has reached 200+ local New Orleans youth from 22 zip codes to date. Classes and educational slides are led and created by Tulane University students. Participants have been 8-10 years old, but this spring 2025, classes expanded to 11–13-year-olds. Classes take place at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine and funding comes from Tulane’s Center for Public Service. A pre-post assessment administered during the spring 2025 classes showed increases in scores following the cooking and STEM education program. Notably, the number of the Top 9 allergens participants were able to name increased from 1.71 to 4.76 following the class.
Development and Evaluation of Cultural Competency Curriculum in Culinary Medicine at an Osteopathic Medical School
Corresponding author/presenter: PIs: Maria Torres, M.S., RDN; Leena Muhanna, M.S.; Natalie M. Yousef, M.S. (OMS-III), Brian Tran (OMS-III), Fatima Yusuf (OMS-III)
Institution: California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Email: mtorres@chsu.edu, lmuhanna@chsu.edu, yousef2820@chsu.edu, tran2831@chsu.edu, yusuf2830@chsu.edu
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This research studied the impact of integrating cultural competency into a Culinary Medicine (CM) curriculum for medical students. The study aimed to improve students’ understanding of how cultural factors influence nutrition and enhance their ability to provide culturally sensitive nutrition counseling. The results showed a positive shift in students’ self-assessment of cultural competence and increased knowledge and awareness of cultural issues in healthcare. Students reported an increased understanding of health issues among diverse cultures and improved confidence in communicating about nutrition across different cultural backgrounds. The study concluded that incorporating cultural competency into CM education is essential for developing culturally competent physicians. It highlighted the need for medical education to evolve towards a more inclusive, patient-centered approach that considers the diverse dietary habits and cultural backgrounds of patients.
