P68 FSU Cooks: Culinary Nutrition Workshops Help Participants Learn About Food, Cook, and Eat

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2019-07, Vol.51 (7), p.S63-S63
• Main Authors: Wickham, Catherine, Nelson-Peterman, Jerusha, Johnson, Ann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.05.444

FSU Cooks: Learn.Cook.Eat was developed by the Food and Nutrition Department (FND) at Framingham State University (FSU). The purpose of the program is to provide an educational environment focused on food and culinary literacy. Participants learn about food, participate in hand-on cooking, and eat their creations. The aim of the pilot was to assess the feasibility of offering the program to community members. There is increasing evidence that hands-on culinary experiences can empower people to make healthy food choices by increasing exposure to new foods and techniques and increasing self-efficacy. FSU students and Framingham community members. FSU Cooks was piloted during Fall 2018 with two introductory campus and community lectures and three culinary nutrition workshops focused on diet and brain health. Lectures provided a backdrop to the workshops which targeted ‘brainy’ foods: whole grains, dark-green leafy vegetables, and spices. Workshop were led by FND faculty and FSU's executive chef. In addition, students from the FND acted as culinary assistants. Each workshop included an overview of nutrition-related topics, cooking demonstrations, and hands-on culinary experiences. Workshop activities were assessed using process evaluation. Participants rated questions on a scale (5=strongly agree and 1=strongly disagree). Qualitative data about the workshop was also collected. Twenty one participants attended three workshops. All participants indicated that they strongly agreed or agreed that the workshop information was useful and they would recommend the program to family and friends. Hands-on culinary workshops can be a fun and engaging way for participants to become empowered to make healthy choices. Based on information learned from the pilot, plans are in place to continue programing in spring 2019 with a focus on heart healthy foods. Additional evaluation methods will be incorporated to assess changes in participants pre-/post-workshop knowledge and intentions to change eating practices. Framingham State University.