Nutrition and Culinary Education in Food is Medicine Interventions. A Scoping Review
Top Things to Know
While most FIM programs include some form of nutrition or culinary education, the wide variation in content, intensity, and delivery underscores the need for clearer standards and more intentional integration to support sustained dietary behavior change.
Limited reporting and involvement of RDNs and culinary professionals suggest missed opportunities to leverage specialized skills that could improve cultural relevance, engagement, and long‑term adherence in FIM programs.
Rigorous assessment of which education strategies work best, for whom, and under what conditions is essential to inform scalable, reimbursable Food Is Medicine models.
Summary of Conclusion/Findings
This scoping review examined how nutrition and culinary education are incorporated into Food Is Medicine (FIM) interventions across medically tailored meals (MTM), medically tailored groceries (MTG), and produce prescription (PRx) programs. Reviewing 100 studies published between 2010 and 2025, the authors found that education is commonly included but highly heterogeneous and inconsistently reported, with nearly one‑third of otherwise eligible FIM studies excluded because they failed to describe any educational component. The most frequent educational strategies were printed materials (43%), cooking classes (35%), and one‑on‑one counseling (32%), most often delivered in person and typically integrated into clinical settings. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) were the most commonly identified educators, yet their involvement was explicitly reported in fewer than one‑quarter of studies. Evaluation of educational components was rare and largely limited to attendance or satisfaction, making it difficult to assess their effectiveness on behavior change or health outcomes. Overall, the findings reveal substantial opportunities to strengthen, standardize, and rigorously evaluate nutrition and culinary education as a core pillar of FIM interventions.