Culinary Nutrition Definition: What is Culinary Nutrition?

Written by Kristen Rohrer, Nutrition/Arts & Sciences Faculty at the Culinary Institute of Virginia

Both traditionally and counterintuitively, we have viewed the culinary world as completely separate from the field of nutrition. However, in the face of our current paradigm, times are changing and thanks to the latest and greatest food science, a new profession has been born.

This cutting-edge vocation is none other than a culinary nutritionist, which is a dynamic synthesis of these disciplines that allows a highly skilled chef to be educated with preeminent nutritional expertise to help tackle the increasingly complex conditions that Americans are coping with today.

Based on the dismal statistics that nearly seven out of every ten deaths is due to a preventable, chronic disease, the birth of this new field could not have come at a better time, especially because these numbers are extremely reflective of what’s happening right here in Virginia. The time for preventative health promotion is now as just under 18% of all Virginians report consuming the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Both heart disease and type 2 diabetes claim the lives of roughly 200,000 of our neighbors living in Hampton Roads every year. Why is this information relevant? Because these are prime examples of chronic diseases that are completely preventable with proactive dietary approaches that a culinary nutritionist could easily help the average person implement into their daily routine.

Education: A MUST for Potential Culinary Nutritionists...But Why?

The benefits of adding a culinary nutritionist to the healthcare team are endless because of their unique ability to implement culinary expertise with targeted dietary information provided from dietitians and nutritionists. This allows a collaborative approach in formulating individualized menu options that can better address the respective needs of the patient, regardless of complexity and in any environment they choose to pursue.

However, these abilities rarely happen by chance, which places higher education as a critical starting point for an aspiring culinary nutritionist. Because of the complicated and sometimes co-morbid ailments that many Americans experience today, a culinary nutritionist must have a strong scientific backbone in order to work with other healthcare team members to identify the best options for each individual situation.

How Can Culinary Nutrition Help Those With Preventable Diseases?

Gone are the days when one specific meal plan could work for everyone with Type 2 Diabetes or heart disease. Current hot topics like allergen awareness, Celiac Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disorders, and nutritional deficiencies associated with chronic disease are just a handful of critical components for the culinary nutritionist to grasp. Nowadays, it is also essential to have a working understanding of human metabolism in the form of foods that can both boost and hinder nutrient absorption.

This perspective as a chef allows the culinary nutritionist to increase the effectiveness of the foods they choose to incorporate for optimal healing in their clients. All of this information is essential in order to deliver the best and most carefully planned menu options for an extremely demanding public. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to achieve this expertise without the proper training from a fundamental perspective that can shed light on the ever-changing and sometimes perplexing world of nutritional science.

Upward Trends for the Culinary Nutritionist

There is very little doubt that culinary nutrition is the field of the future, particularly the role of the Certified Dietary Manager, which bridges the traditional gaps between paper meal plans and delectable yet nutritious cuisine. As the connections between food and disease become more apparent, this field will continue to explode, particularly because no other profession can execute the follow-through from recipes to culinary marvels quite like the culinary nutritionist.

A prospective culinary nutritionist can pursue the Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and Applied Nutrition degree through ECPI University’s Culinary Institute of Virginia, which then allows them to sit for the Certified Dietary Manager exam. Upon passing, the culinary nutritionist could then work virtually anywhere food is served. These credentials are paramount in proving an individual’s aptitude to manage the kitchen from both a nutritional perspective as well as the viewpoint of an accomplished chef.

If your ambitions include creating high quality and nutritious meals that can help people thrive while achieving their health goals, you may be more than ready for a career path in the exploding world of culinary nutrition. Call today for specific program information and to speak to an experienced admissions representative that can help you launch your exciting new journey in this field.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

Gainful Employment Information – Culinary Nutrition - Associate’s

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.