The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC) in Culinary Health & Healing is designed for three groups of individuals who wish to promote health and wellness through the application of nutrition principles to whole foods cooking.

1. Individuals who complete this program are prepared to move into careers such as whole-foods chef or caterer; personal, specialty, and restaurant chefs; therapeutic chef working with nutritionists, dieticians, or in integrative healthcare settings; food and cooking educator or consultant; professional food writer or blogger and/or cookbook author; and as hospitality industry professionals. The program prepares individuals in culinary and hospitality fields who wish to enhance their skills and business through an emphasis on the diet-health connection and partnerships with nutrition professionals and other healthcare practitioners.
2. The program is also ideal for the many types of professionals supporting the continuing growth of the healthcare field. The integrative health, public health, and conventional medical professionals supporting this growth can expand and diversify their professional practice and open additional career opportunities through this certificate program. This includes health and wellness coaches, community and health educators, dieticians, herbalists, Ayurveda practitioners, acupuncturists, and yoga therapists, among other healthcare practitioners. 
3. The COVID-19 pandemic drove increased attention to healthy home cooking. This trend is projected to continue, leading to the need for culinary health and healing educators to support home cooking skill development to enhance the palatability and nutritional value of meals.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC) in Culinary Health and Healing educates students in the selection and preparation of whole foods as a foundation for health and wellness. Students learn scientifically based principles and practices of food selection and preparation and apply those skills to translate nutritional assessments and goals into personalized, family, and community meal plans. Students learn strategies for adapting meal plans based on specific health conditions, food sensitivities, and allergies as well as grocery budget and food availability. The program celebrates global cuisine and students explore multicultural and culturally specific meal plans. The role of the culinary educator in promoting healthy diets is investigated as well as how to partner with healthcare practitioners and a variety of clients to support health and healing through nutrition. 

Graduates of this program will be prepared to enhance the palatability and nutritional quality of the foods they prepare and to teach others to do the same. They will also be prepared to help others translate their nutritional goals and the recommendations of nutritionists and dieticians into recipes and menus. 

The program serves as both a standalone certificate and as a stackable certificate and pathway into the Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health program.

The credits achieved in this PBC program can be applied to the two areas of concentration (AOC) of the M.S. Nutrition and Integrative Health as follows: Human Clinical Nutrition AOC – 6.5 credits; Herbal Medicine AOC – 4.5 credits.

This program consists of 12 credits of required courses.

Didactic Courses (9 cr)

• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr)
• NUTR668 Culinary Herbs in the Kitchen and Beyond (1 cr)
• NUTR671 Food and Culture (1 cr)
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating (2 cr)
• NUTR678 Culinary Educator (2 cr) 
• NUTR680 Behavior Change in Selection and Preparation of Meals (2 cr) 
• NUTR689 Applied Culinary Nutrition (2 cr) 
• NUTRXXX Applied Culinary Nutrition II (1 cr) 
• RSCH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

Cooking Lab Courses (3 cr)

Additional Requirements 

Completion of the Serv-Safe™ Food Safety Manager Course offered by the National Restaurant Association

Course Descriptions

NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr)

This course re-defines the assumptions of nutrition by exploring controversies and conflicting opinions, and by addressing reductionism and holism in nutrition. It encourages critical thinking and healing presence as a framework for understanding whether or not current issues or personal biases in the field of nutrition are valid. Students explore new interpretations of food, eating, and nourishment. Students investigate the impact of food choices on the health of the planet, the community, and the mind-body-spirit of an individual.

NUTR668 Culinary Herbs in the Kitchen and Beyond (1 cr)

The purpose of this course is to help students develop a working relationship with the individual culinary herbs used as flavor enhancers in culinary practice and as remedies in herbal practice. The course will help students to evaluate their own knowledge and to think critically and analytically about the role of culinary herbs in diet. This course supports students who seek to integrate culinary herbs in different dishes based on nutritional science to enhance their personal life and it will empower them to use this knowledge in their future careers as health professionals. Students will start their own culinary herb garden.

NUTR671 Food and Culture (1 cr)

This course explores the cultural influences on food and diet globally as well as in the United States. With a focus on the dynamic influences which shape diet and eating practices, students will discover new ways to assess the food and diet of an individual within the context of their culture. The focus of this course will be on the myriad of cultural influences which created the diets seen across the United States today.

NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr)

This course is designed for the student to explore his/her relationship to food from a psycho-spiritual perspective, to explore many of the cultural and familial messages that one carries, and to identify personal patterns around eating. Students will explore the concept of mindful eating and learn tools and techniques for guiding clients and groups in mindfulness practices.

NUTR678 Culinary Educator (2 cr)

Students develop foundational skills for effective oral and written communication and apply them to the topics of cooking, diet, and health. In health settings, they collaborate with nutrition professionals and healthcare practitioners in the education of individuals and populations about the role of nutrition in health and wellness. Each student demonstrates their cooking and educational skills by designing and implementing a whole foods cooking demonstration for a group or a community, with educational materials to support their topic. 

NUTR680 Behavior Change in Selection and Prep of Meals (2 cr)

Students learn how health behavior change can be critical for adapting meals to healthy alternatives. Students explore the personal, social, and cultural factors that impact meal choices, and learn how the principles and practices of health behavior change can be used to influence behavior. Students apply knowledge of behavior change principles to help individuals and groups make dietary changes to support health and wellness.

NUTR689 Applied Culinary Nutrition (2 cr) 

Knowledge and skills in food selection and meal preparation are essential to translating dietary recommendations into meaningful and sustainable lifestyle changes. Students explore the food supply chain factors that affect food quality and build skills in the selection and preparation of whole-food ingredients. Adapting food choices and preparation techniques is emphasized to meet the needs of different clinical, socioeconomic, and cultural populations. Students apply essential cooking skills to create appetizing and nutritious meals and develop educational resources to empower clients to make healthy dietary changes. 

NUTR690 Applied Culinary Nutrition II (1 cr) 

This course expands on the knowledge and skills required to select and prepare foods for optimal health.  

NUTR684 Cooking with Whole Foods Lab IV (0.5 cr)

Cooking with Whole Foods Lab IV covers feeding the individual with food allergies and/or sensitivities. Best techniques for replacing allergens are explored and special focus is given to gluten-free and dairy-free shopping, cooking, and food preparation. Students practice and explore best cooking techniques that support the lifestyle of the diverse population who suffers with food allergies, and learn skills to create nutrient-dense meals in 30 minutes or less. Prerequisites: NUTR682.

RSCH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

This fully online, self-paced course is designed to prepare students to engage in graduate-level research and scholarship with a focus on the utilization of resources available at or through the Library. Modules cover the Association of College and Research Libraries information literacy threshold concepts in higher education. These concepts are: Scholarship as Conversation, Research as Inquiry, Authority is Constructed and Contextual, Information Creation as a Process, Searching as Strategic Exploration, and Information Has Value.

Upon completion of the program students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate how to select and prepare nutrient-dense whole foods.
2. Devise meal plans to support optimal health.
3. Adapt healthy whole foods menus to meet the needs of individuals of diverse demographic, cultural, and clinical groups.
4. Collaborate with nutrition professionals and other healthcare practitioners to support dietary health and healing for individuals and populations.

Program Format

This program is offered in the online format. 

Program Schedule

For semester start and end dates, see the Academic Calendar.

The schedule of courses for this program is shown below:

Semester 1 

• NUTR601 Redefining Nutrition (1 cr) 
• NUTR671 Food and Culture (1 cr) 
• NUTR672 Mindful Eating and Nourishment (2 cr) 
• NUTR689 Applied Culinary Nutrition (2 cr) 
• RSCH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr) 

Semester 2

• NUTR668 Culinary Herbs in the Kitchen and Beyond (1 cr) 
• NUTR678 Culinary Educator (2 cr) 
• NUTR680 Behavior Change in Selection and Preparation of Meals (2 cr) 
• NUTR690 Applied Culinary Nutrition II (1 cr) 

Tuition

*Prices subject to change.

Additional Fees

• Doctor of Clinical Nutrition
• Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health
• Post-Masters Certificate in Nutrition & Integrative Health

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Culinary Health and Healing program is not designed to meet entry-level requirements for licensure or certification.

This program prepares graduates to move into a variety of careers that promote health and wellness through the application of nutrition principles to whole foods cooking:

• Careers such as whole-foods chef or caterer; personal, specialty, and restaurant chefs; therapeutic chef working with nutritionists, dieticians, or in integrative healthcare settings; food and cooking educator or consultant; professional food writer or blogger and/or cookbook author; and as hospitality industry professionals. 
• Careers in integrative health, public health, and conventional medicine through the expansion and diversification of one’s professional practice and career opportunities including health and wellness coaches, community and health educators, dieticians, herbalists, Ayurveda practitioners, acupuncturists, and yoga therapists, among other healthcare practitioners. 

The growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health has led to the emergence of a new professional field that goes by multiple names – culinary health, culinary health and wellness, culinary health and healing, and culinary medicine. This is a new evidence-based field that blends the art of food and cooking with the sciences of health, wellness, and medicine. SOIH’s PBC Culinary Health and Healing program offers opportunities for new entrants to the field and existing professionals in workplace settings to acquire an additional area of expertise to distinguish themselves and expand their career options.  

The career outlook for the culinary health profession is strong given the intersection of the nutrition, culinary, and hospitality fields, all of which themselves have a robust job outlook:

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) indicates jobs for nutritionists and dietitians are projected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031.
• BLS indicates jobs for chefs and head cooks are projected to grow 15% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than average.
• BLS indicates jobs for meeting, convention, and event planners are projected to grow 18% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than average.
• The U.S. Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration classifies the chef and head cook, and meeting, convention, and event planner professions as Bright Outlook occupations. Such occupations match at least one of the following criteria: projected to grow faster than average (employment increase of 8% or more) over the period 2021-2031 for the U.S. nationwide, and/or projected to have 100,000 or more job openings over the period 2021-2031 for the U.S. nationwide.

View more about career opportunities

Contact the Department: muih-nutrition@muih.ndm.edu

Program Administration 

James Snow D.C.N. 
Department Chair 

Eleonora Gafton, D.C.N. 
Program Director

Rachel Voss, M.P.A. 
Department Manager 

Casey Opperman, M.A. 
Academic Advisor 

Crystal Hoyte, M.S. 
Associate Director of Academic Advising 

Program Faculty 

Atiera Abatemarco, M.P.H 

Bevin Clare, M.S. 

Oscar Coetzee, D.C.N. 

John Courie, M.S. 

Eleonora Gafton, D.C.N. 

Stephanie Lanham, D.C.N. 

Marybeth Missenda, M.S. 

Duston Morris, Ph.D. 

Daryl Nault, M.S. 

Jessica Pizano, D.C.N. 

James Snow, D.C.N. 

Michael Tims, Ph.D. 

Claudia Wingo, M.P.H 

Kiarash Aazami, M.S. 

Noel Aldrich, Ph.D. 

Lindsey Brandenberg, M.S. 

Amy Burkholder, M.S. 

Christine Castagna, D.C.N. 

Dorothy Clancy, M.A. 

Keren Dolan, D.C.N. 

Tamara Gondre, N.D. 

Michael Guidry, M.S. 

Katayoon Hodjati, M.S. 

Renee LeClair, Ph.D. 

Rachel Lucke, M.S. 

Brooke Mader, M.S. 

Betsy Miller, M.S. 

Elizabeth Owens, M.S. 

Leandro Pucci, D.C.N. 

Sylvia Regalla, M.D. 

David Riley, M.D. 

Paula Stewart, N.D. 

Susan Testa, M.S. 

Victoria Trocki, M.S. 

Christina Volbrecht, M.S. 

Denise Wagoner, M.S. 

Laura Wigglesworth, M.S.