By Annette Pinder
As enthusiasm continues to grow regarding the relationship between food, eating, and cooking, and its relationship to personal health and wellness, Kristin Goss, Department Chair of SUNY Erie Community College’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts Program, is excited to be at the forefront of the college’s new culinary medicine program.
According to Goss, culinary medicine is not integrative or internal medicine, and does not minimize the importance of prescription medications. Instead, culinary medicine is an evidence-based field that combines cooking with the science of nutrition.
“Culinary medicine helps individuals understand how food and cooking relate to their personal health, which helps them make better decisions about accessing and eating high-quality meals. This aides in the prevention and treatment of disease, in addition to restoring wellbeing,” Goss said.
Goss explains that students who enroll in SUNY Erie’s Culinary Nutrition in HealthCare Program will learn about the direct relationship between food and chronic illness. “Students will learn to identify appropriate foods that might help various conditions and how food works in the body, along with the sociocultural and pleasurable aspects of eating and cooking,” says Goss.
Students will be prepared for employment in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools as executive chefs and dietary managers. Their training will also prepare them to develop the expertise and confidence required to prepare healthy, delicious, high-quality meals that accommodate the nutritional needs of our most vulnerable populations.
The Culinary Medicine AOS program will include some exciting new courses, including an Introduction to Biotechnology of Cannabis Science, Culinary Medicine 1 and 2, and Cooking with Cannabis.
SUNY Erie’s Hospitality Program is also excited to announce an opportunity to experience a one-night Culinary Medicine class during which participants will learn from highly skilled SUNY Erie faculty how to prepare healthy options to restore well-being.
During the 3-hour class, participants will cook a healthy meal and sit-down to enjoy it during a question-and-answer session. So, grab a friend, and come to this awesome event on May 20, 2022, from 5 to 8 pm at the North Campus’ Erie Dining Room, 6205 Main Street in Williamsville.
Limited space is available, and the cost is $125.00. Contact Cheryl Vargo at 716-270-5255 to reserve your spot. Can’t make this event? Additional classes will be offered this summer in the College’s garden at Canalside.
