Food as Medicine

Culinary Medicine Program Turns Future Physicians into Confident Nutrition Guides 

On a late-September Saturday morning in Yakima, a group of PNWU Student Doctors traded classrooms and pencils for kitchen utensils, translating nutrition science into real-world patient care skills. The hands-on Meal Prepping on a Budget session was part of the Northwest Interprofessional Health Collaborative’s (NIHC) Culinary Medicine Program. 

Shoulder-to-shoulder around stainless steel prep tables inside Yakima’s Healthy Eats Classroom, they diced vegetables, portioned grains, and packed containers side-by-side — learning how to prepare a full week of affordable, nutritious meals.  

A feature of the NIHC, the Culinary Medicine Program is one of PNWU’s most distinctive experiential learning opportunities, highlighting how food choices affect health outcomes, and how future providers can empower patients to make better ones. Designed to go beyond lectures and lab work, the program brings students into the kitchen to explore nutrition as treatment and cooking as clinical confidence. 

“I was expecting to experience a program that I cycled in and out of,” explained Student Doctor Kat Mislinski, PNWU College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2028. “Instead, I have found a much richer community that keeps me coming back class after class.” 

A Recipe for Preventative Care 

Led by Elaina Moon, an ACE Certified Health Coach and owner of Healthy Eats Nutrition Services, alongside Dr. Kathaleen Briggs-Early, PNWU Professor of Nutrition, the program blends culinary skills with evidence-based nutrition counseling strategies. Sessions are free and open to all students participating in the NIHC’s interprofessional curriculum. 

Through the program, students learn to translate complex nutrition science into culturally sensitive, practical guidance. By working hands-on to prepare budget-friendly recipes tailored to conditions like diabetes, celiac disease, hypertension, and cancer recovery, they also get the chance to collaborate across healthcare disciplines in team-based sessions, building confidence in teamwork and nutritional knowledge. 

“It broadened my understanding of what a healthy eating pattern can look like,” said Student Dr. Mislinski, recalling a moment from one of Moon’s public gluten-free baking classes in which a woman began to cry because it had been so long since she had had a scone.

“It has allowed me to adapt the concepts of healthy eating to different dietary restrictions, cultural preferences, and income levels.” 

For Student Doctor Brandon Reid, PNWU-COM Class of 2029, the original draw to the program was simple: a change of pace. 

“I was honestly motivated at first because it was something different — and less stressful than our regular coursework,” he admitted. “I am so happy it turned out to be so much more.” 

Student Doctor Jessica Brewer, PNWU School of Dental Medicine Class of 2029, was admittedly nervous when she signed up for that sort of different coursework, and specifically, a session called Low Income Diets. In the end, however, the program’s warm and inviting atmosphere welcomed her in, and left a lasting impression. 

“It was very eye-opening to make delicious meals and snacks using ingredients you might find at a food bank or in a basic pantry,” Student Dr. Brewer explained. “For example — instead of a basic tortilla and cheese quesadilla, we added beans, onions, and bell peppers and baked them. I had never thought to make it that way, and it became a much more substantial dish.” 

She says that shift in mindset has already changed how she sees her role as a future provider. 

“This program has given me a deeper understanding of nutrition,” she said. “I feel like I can better recommend foods or recipes to improve a patient’s health — and even think more critically about my own portion sizes.” 

“It’s so easy to just read your textbooks and watch videos about how things are supposed to work,” added Student Dr. Reid, “but being hands-on allows you to really see what’s going on.”