Culinary workshops as a health promotion strategy

an experience report

Abstract

This experience report describes the implementation of culinary workshops as a strategy to encourage healthier food choices, based on the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population. It is premised on the hypothesis that educational culinary practices—developed in a participatory and contextualized manner—foster meaningful learning, enhance culinary autonomy, and contribute to health promotion by strengthening the relationship individuals have with food and the act of cooking. Between 2023 and 2024, six workshops were conducted, tailored to diverse audiences and settings. Activities included a Seasoning Workshop at a municipal school; workshops on Sauces and Cooking with Unconventional Food Plants at the university campus; a "Cooking with Science" workshop for children during school holidays; and post-harvest workshops based on school gardens. These initiatives involved 180 participants and employed a participatory methodology that valued traditional knowledge and encouraged collective effort. Results showed increased interest, participation, and acceptance of the prepared dishes across the different groups. Furthermore, the activities carried out in 2024 highlighted the integration of Health Promotion with Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 13 by linking food security, sustainability, and environmental education. The study concludes that culinary workshops serve as a powerful strategy for health promotion by encouraging healthier, sustainable, and socially contextualized food choices, while strengthening culinary autonomy and participant engagement across various educational settings. Keywords: Adequate and Healthy Diet; Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population; Eating Habits; Cooking.