To address the growing prevalence of diet-related diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, healthcare professionals are exploring innovative ways to educate patients about nutrition. One effective method is hands-on cooking classes that empower individuals to make healthier food choices, experts suggest.
A recent article by Alabama Public Radio, dated March 18, 2025, highlighted a cooking class in a teaching kitchen, where high school students learned to prepare healthy snacks as an alternative to ultra-processed foods. The session, part of a health and wellness program at the University of South Alabama, was led by a doctor from the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching people how to eat, cook, and lead healthier lifestyles.
David Eisenberg, adjunct associate professor of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and founder of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, emphasized that improving health requires open conversations between patients and clinicians about food, cooking, and shopping habits. “It matters so much because probably more than half of the deaths in the United States every year are either accelerated or in some way impacted by people’s diet and lifestyle,” Eisenberg explained.
By providing patients with the tools to cook nutritious meals, healthcare providers are helping them take control of their health in a tangible way, fostering long-term lifestyle changes that can prevent and manage chronic conditions.
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