Development of the Cook-EdTM Matrix to Guide Food and Cooking Skill Selection in Culinary Education Programs That Target Diet Quality and Health

Abstract

Culinary education programs are generally designed to improve participants’ food and cooking skills, with or without consideration to influencing diet quality or health. No published methods exist to guide food and cooking skills’ content priorities within culinary education programs that target improved diet quality and health. To address this gap, an international team of cooking and nutrition education experts developed the Cooking Education (Cook-EdTM) matrix. International food-based dietary guidelines were reviewed to determine common food groups. A six-section matrix was drafted including skill focus points for: (1) Kitchen safety, (2) Food safety, (3) General food skills, (4) Food group specific food skills, (5) General cooking skills, (6) Food group specific cooking skills. A modified e-Delphi method with three consultation rounds was used to reach consensus on the Cook-EdTM matrix structure, skill focus points included, and their order. The final Cook-EdTM matrix includes 117 skill focus points. The matrix guides program providers in selecting the most suitable skills to consider for their programs to improve dietary and health outcomes, while considering available resources, participant needs, and sustainable nutrition principles. Users can adapt the Cook-EdTM matrix to regional food-based dietary guidelines and food cultures.

Addressing schoolteacher food and nutrition-related health and wellbeing: a scoping review of the food and nutrition constructs used across current research

“…However, none of these measured cooking skills which is a factor identified, within the food knowledge, skills, and abilities determinate group. With culinary inclusive interventions exploring the use of cooking skills [ 38 , 155 ] in connection with dietary intake, and cooking confidence as a potential correlate of wellbeing outcomes in adults, not teacher participants [ 14 – 16 ], future FN research in teachers might consider further exploration of these two culinary constructs.…”

A critical review of children's culinary nutrition interventions, the methodologies used and their impact on dietary, psychosocial and wellbeing outcomes

“…Scientific rationale for specific content for culinary interventions has been recently developed and should be used to help strengthen the intervention content. Depending on the primary focus of the intervention, whether it is for building skill competency and capacity or for diet quality, guidance is available for age-appropriate cooking skills (Dean, O'Kane, et al, 2021) and specific skills for healthy eating principles (Asher et al, 2022).…”

Fruit and vegetable consumption as a preventative strategy for non-communicable diseases

“…Cooking skills are a component of food literacy and a systematic review (45) has been conducted which A matrix to define cooking skills intervention development has recently been developed and published (46) . This will be of real value, firstly in appreciating the complexity of the various required skills and helping to decide on content priorities within culinary education programs that target improved diet quality and health.…”