Since the mid-20th century, the United States’ food environment has shifted progressively toward highly processed products. Consequently, the burden of chronic diseases related to diet has risen sharply across the country. At the same time, physicians continue to receive insufficient nutrition training. A novel approach developed to address this gap is “culinary medicine,” delivered through programs led collaboratively by physicians, chefs, and registered dietitian nutritionists. Culinary medicine is an evidence-based, interdisciplinary medical field that integrates culinary skills, nutritional science, and medical training to prevent and manage diet-related illnesses. It emphasizes experiential, hands-on learning through healthy food preparation and is most often conducted in teaching kitchens, either in person or via virtual platforms. It may be implemented either as a clinical intervention for patients or as an experiential educational tool for students, medical trainees, and healthcare professionals. Evidence suggests that culinary medicine programs are effective, economically viable, and positively received. Consequently, healthcare institutions and medical education systems are increasingly integrating culinary medicine, teaching kitchens, and interprofessional nutrition training into both clinical care and educational frameworks.
