Using nutrition as a vital sign: How the ULSOM is changing the conversation on food and health

At the newly developed UofL Trager Institute Culinary Medicine Kitchen, students and physicians are dropping their pencils and stethoscopes to pick up a different set of tools: chef's knives and fresh ingredients. 

This hands-on approach is the heart of UofL’s new Culinary Medicine elective, making the School of Medicine part of a small, elite group of U.S. institutions integrating nutrition directly into the curriculum. While traditional training focuses on diagnosis and prescriptions, this program fills a critical gap: teaching future doctors how to translate complex science into a meal that a patient can actually prepare and sustain. 

“The driving force behind the Culinary Medicine Teaching Kitchen is the recognition that while medical education often includes foundational nutrition science, there has historically been a major gap in translating that knowledge into practical, patient-centered application,” said Kristen Neises, director of lifestyle medicine. “It’s one thing to tell a patient to ‘eat healthier,’ but it’s another to help them do that within the context of their culture, budget, health conditions, family structure and access to food.” 

Featuring eight cooking stations, the kitchen consists of a high-tech environment designed for both local and remote learning. State-of-the-art appliances donated by GE Appliances are paired with integrated technology to give students a bird’s-eye view of every technique, whether they are standing at the counter or tuning in live from across the state. 

Each class blends evidence-based nutrition with real-world application. Students might review research on macronutrient balance one moment and practice techniques to swap processed ingredients for fresh, heart-healthy alternatives in the next. But the impact goes far beyond recipes alone. 

“This space provides students and health care professionals the opportunity to build confidence in preparing nutritious, accessible meals for themselves and their families while also learning how to translate those skills into patient care,” Neises said. “Participants learn to tailor nutrition recommendations for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disease, while also considering food insecurity, cultural preferences and socioeconomic barriers.  

That lived experience is what sets culinary medicine apart. By stepping into the role of the patient and navigating their time constraints, budgets and ingredient substitutions, future physicians are able to gain a deeper understanding of behavior change. 

“Hands-on cooking transforms knowledge into lived experience,” Neises said. “Instead of simply advising a patient to ‘reduce sodium’ or ‘eat more vegetables’ physicians can offer concrete, personalized strategies that align with a patient’s daily life.” 

This approach champions a preventive, health-focused model of medicine, emphasizing the power of nutrition to combat chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the leading causes of death in America. 

By teaching medical students and physicians to master these skills firsthand, the program ensures they are equipped to offer more than just a diagnosis; they are prepared to give patients the tools to reclaim their health at home. 

Looking ahead, the vision for the program extends well beyond the classroom alone. 

“In five years, a successful Culinary Medicine program at the Trager Institute will be an interdisciplinary hub,” said Neises. “It will bring together medical, nursing, social work and other health professions students to address one of Kentucky’s greatest health challenges: chronic disease.” 

That vision also includes expanding access to the broader community, creating more opportunities for patients and families to learn directly from physicians through hands-on experiences. 

“Ultimately, success means empowering both providers and communities with practical, evidence-based nutrition knowledge that can apply in their daily lives,” she said. “We hope this program moves the needle on chronic disease in Kentucky by making healthy living more accessible, culturally relevant and sustainable.”