Healthy Cooking for Healthy Communities

Johnna Nynas

Healthy Cooking for Healthy Communities is a series of free classes about healthy cooking, nutrition, and wellness designed to address the obesity epidemic at a local level. Classes were launched by University of Minnesota medical student Johnna Nynas as part of her Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) experience in Bemidji, Minnesota.

The program was well received by the community and garnered local media attention. Nynas hopes Healthy Cooking for Healthy Communities can serve as a model for those interested in implementing similar programming in their own communities.

What follows is a Q&A with Nynas about this innovative community project.

Q.  How did you get the idea for this community project?

A. My mentor, rural family physician Suzy Human, MD, and I share an interest in nutrition and healthy cooking. During my RPAP experience, we spent a great deal of time providing nutritional counseling to patients in clinic; however, words do not always translate into patient action. Using a group visit model, we created an extension of the clinic environment where patients could receive targeted nutritional information.

Q. Can you describe a typical healthy cooking class?

A. Classes are facilitated by an interdisciplinary team of family physicians and local chefs and held in a community kitchen environment, like at Harmony Foods Co-op in Bemidji. Each class features demonstrations on how to prepare healthy meals using fresh, whole ingredients; unlike traditional nutrition classes, this allows patients to see how easy and delicious healthy cooking can be. Family physicians are available to answer patient questions about wellness and provide community education on everything from the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids to postpartum weight loss. The nutritional education takes into consideration social issues, like picky eaters, busy schedules, cultural norms, budget concerns, and food availability.

Q. How were classes received by participants?

A. I believe the success of this program is best measured in participant comments. Here are some of my favorites: “loved the idea of incorporating vegetables in a delicious way;” “my family loved the recipes;” and “need more classes like this.” Pre- and post-class surveys were used to gather information on how well the classes improved participant knowledge of healthy ingredients and confidence in implementing changes at home.

Q. What makes this program innovative?

A. Its design. I researched barriers to office counseling cited by primary care providers and developed a program that would circumvent common pitfalls, like out-of-pocket patient costs, patient motivation to change behavior, provider knowledge of nutrition, and knowledge of cooking methods. The classes challenge common misconceptions that healthy cooking is expensive, tasteless, and time-consuming by showing how simple and delicious it can be to eat healthy. The most impressive aspect of this program comes down to health care costs. Physicians typically rely on referrals to nutritionists to help patients improve their diets; such visits are often not covered by insurance and may cost up to $300. These free classes provide two hours of cooking instruction from professional instructors; a delicious, healthy meal; education about nutrition concepts like portion sizes and reading food labels; and time to ask questions of health care providers.

Q. How did you finance Healthy Cooking for Healthy Communities?

A. Classes were free to participants, but cost $24 per person to operate. Funding came from Sanford Health in Bemidji and a David Mersy Student Externship Program grant from the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians.

Q. What are the plans for continuing or growing this program?

A. The current RPAP student in Bemidji, Kelly Fellows, and rural family physician Suzy Human, MD, are continuing to bring these healthy cooking classes to the Bemidji community. My hope is that the work we have already done on this project will serve as a model for others interested in implementing similar programming. More formal research is needed to prove that this can be an effective way to help patients make meaningful, long-term behavior changes, but our experience has shown that patients are ready and excited to see this kind of innovative approach to medicine. Ultimately, I plan to continue my work on this project during residency and as a practicing physician. I would love to see this grow into a nonprofit that could distribute a formal curriculum, making it easier for hospitals and clinics to implement this in more communities.

For more information, e-mail me at nynas@umn.edu.