In this presentation, I will explore how adapting recipes to align with a patient’s palate, budget, and cultural heritage can significantly improve adherence to clinical nutrition recommendations. I will discuss three key approaches to recipe adaptation: Flavor Customization, Budget-Friendly Modifications, and Culturally Relevant Adaptations. Additionally, I will outline the importance of culinary competencies in helping patients successfully adopt nutrition recommendations. This session aims to highlight how a patient-centered, culinary-informed approach can enhance dietary adherence and improve health outcomes.
Dr Kennedy's mission is to bring nutrition science (Food is Medicine) and the culinary arts (Culinary Medicine) together to heal people, communities and our planet, one delicious bite at a time. Deborah Kennedy PhD is a chef and 30+ year PhD Public Health Nutritionist. She is the CEO of The Food Coach AcademyTM, Build Healthy Kids®, and Culinary Rehab®; Director of Culinary Medicine at Rouxbe; Adjunct Professor at the University of New England, and consultant. She received her PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from Tufts University, Friedman School of Nutrition, Science and Policy. She is certified in Value Based Medicine from The Dartmouth Institute. Dr. Kennedy learned to cook at an early age and worked her way up to the level of chef in Canada. The following are examples of her work in Food is Medicine (FIM) and Culinary Medicine (CM): • Currently conducting a statewide needs analysis in Vermont around Food is Medicine• Created a Culinary Medicine Program for the Produce Prescription Program for community health workers• Published five books in the Culinary Medicine Textbook series in partnership with a dozen chefs and over 40 nutrition experts from Canada, Europe and the United States. o An outcome of this work was the development of culinary competencies for nutrition recommendations • Developed a modular delivery system for learning and behavior change and learning, which was studied at Tufts University, The Rudd Center, and UConn. • 1st Chair for Best Practices at Harvard & the CIA’s Teaching Kitchen Collaborative.