A Teaching Kitchen Program Improves Employee Micronutrient and Healthy Dietary Consumption

• Published in: Nutrition and metabolic insights Vol. 16; p. 11786388231159192
• Main Authors: Moore, Miranda A, Cousineau, Benjamin A, Rastorguieva, Krystyna, Bonnet, Jonathan P, Bergquist, Sharon H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2023; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Short Report; nutrition education; micronutrient adequacy; diet quality; plant-based; Healthy Eating Index; ASA-24; dietary recall; teaching kitchen
• ISSN: 1178-6388; 1178-6388
• DOI: 10.1177/11786388231159192

Objective: To measure changes in micronutrient adequacy and diet quality in healthcare and university employees who underwent a 10-week teaching kitchen program. Methods: Thirty-eight healthcare and university employees participated in a 10-week teaching kitchen program. Twenty-seven completed self-administered, 24-hour dietary recalls to measure dietary intake at baseline and 3-months. Micronutrient adequacy and diet quality was assessed using Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Results: Seventy percent of participants were classified as low or moderate micronutrient adequacy at baseline. The proportion of participants with high micronutrient adequacy increased from 30% to 48% at 3-month follow-up. Total HEI and most HEI components increased at follow-up; with a statistically significant increase in seafood/plant protein score (P = .007). Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Our results suggest an inadequacy in micronutrient intake in university and healthcare employees and that teaching kitchens may help improve micronutrient adequacy and diet quality.