An evidence-based conceptual framework of healthy cooking

Abstract

Eating out of the home has been positively associated with body weight, obesity, and poor diet quality. While cooking at home has declined steadily over the last several decades, the benefits of home cooking have gained attention in recent years and many healthy cooking projects have emerged around the United States. The purpose of this study was to develop an evidence-based conceptual framework of healthy cooking behavior in relation to chronic disease prevention. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken using broad search terms. Studies analyzing the impact of cooking behaviors across a range of disciplines were included. Experts in the field reviewed the resulting constructs in a small focus group. The model was developed from the extant literature on the subject with 59 studies informing 5 individual constructs (frequency, techniques and methods, minimal usage, flavoring, and ingredient additions/replacements), further defined by a series of individual behaviors. Face validity of these constructs was supported by the focus group. A validated conceptual model is a significant step toward better understanding the relationship between cooking, disease and disease prevention and may serve as a base for future assessment tools and curricula.

The concept of cooking skills: A review with contributions to the scientific debate

“…In the last two decades, the theme of 'cooking skills' has been the focus of investigations and interventions in different countries [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. However, the concept of cooking skills still does not seem to be sufficiently discussed, starting with definitions of the term cooking.…”

“…Under one of the approaches, the definition of cooking would be restricted to the application of heat to raw foods. Nevertheless, the term can present more complex meanings, when perspectives from different fields of knowledge are considered [1,4,[6][7][8][9][10].…”

“…Cooking skills have been referred to as the ability to perform tasks related to the preparation of food, which requires preliminary procedures to its cooking, such as washing, peeling, and chopping [1,4,[8][9][10]. Researchers mention that cooking confidence and knowledge are fundamental requirements to the development of individual cooking skills [1,2,6,7,[11][12][13].…”

Utility of eButton images for identifying food preparation behaviors and meal-related tasks in adolescents

“…The first author generated a basic codebook of behaviors, including definitions and examples, to capture the nonconsumption food related behaviors of the participants in this project based on prior research on food preparation [45] and a preliminary review of the images. Codes were kept broad to accommodate the range of activities and limited culinary literacy demonstrated by the sample.…”

“…reducing added sugars) to more negative (e.g. deep frying) food preparation behaviors [45]. This is the first study to use all day camera images to classify food preparation and meal related behaviors in a sample of pre-and early adolescents.…”