About CHEF Coaching

CHEF Coaching Faculty

Culinary Health Education Fundamentals (CHEF) Coaching is a two-part evidence-based program focused on culinary coaching—an innovative telemedicine approach to improve nutrition through culinary training, combined with health coaching principles.

Complete our two-part program and earn a “Certificate of Completion in Culinary Coaching” from the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Part 1 – CHEF Coaching the Basics (skill-based culinary coaching classes)

Part 2 – CHEF Coaching Beyond the Basics (small group practice sessions in culinary telemedicine)

OUR HISTORY

In 2014, a culinary coaching approach was developed by Rani Polak, MD, CHEF, Health Coach, at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Harvard Medical School, to improve nutrition through a two-pronged approach, combining culinary training and coaching. Culinary coaching is defined as a “behavioral intervention that aims to improve nutrition and overall health by facilitating home cooking through an active learning process for participants that combines culinary training with health and wellness coaching competencies.”

Why choose CHEF Coaching?

CHEF Coaching is the only culinary medicine program focused on overcoming proven barriers to home cooking using behavioral change techniques.
CHEF Coaching is a unique, tele-medicine approach, decreasing culinary education costs and improving program access.
CHEF Coaching is a culinary medicine program applicable to all diets and healthy eating plans.

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CHEF Coaching Program Accomplishments

2014

CHEF Coaching for Patients successfully developed and piloted

2015

CHEF Coaching for Patients implemented as a service at Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA
The first culinary medicine program to be presented during an American College of Lifestyle Medicine annual conference
The first culinary medicine program to be presented during Harvard Medical School, Department of Nutrition grand rounds
CHEF Coaching Module integrated as part of the Lifestyle Medicine rotation for the Yale School of Medicine’s combined Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine residency program
CHEF Coaching for Clinicians approved for continuing education credits by Wellcoaches®

2016

CHEF Coaching for Patients is first program of its kind to be approved for health insurance billing
Approved as a program within The Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School
Receives grant from Vela Foundation to develop CHEF Coaching for clinicians
CHEF Coaching for clinicians implemented as a service at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School
American College of Preventative Medicine selects CHEF Coaching to develop the Culinary Medicine module of the National Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies Curriculum
Harvard Medical School approves onsite component of Clinician CHEF Coaching for Continuing Medical Education credits

2017

Paper with culinary coaching definition accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journal
Harvard Medical School approves small group practice component of Clinician CHEF Coaching for Continuing Medical Education credits
Culinary coaching module included in Veterans Administration’s physicians’ assistant training program
A Culinary Medicine Task Force, led by the CHEF Coaching program director, founded as one of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) communities
CHEF Coaching for clinicians implemented as a service during Lifestyle Medicine, Tools for Promoting Healthy Change conference, Harvard Medical School

2018

Cook With a Doc: culinary telemedicine module that allows clinicians to cook with their patients added to CHEF Coaching for Clinicians
CHEF Coaching wins three-year grant to evaluate the impact of the culinary coaching program on patient’s BMI
First report to describe the impact of the CHEF Coaching for Clinicians training published
CHEF Coaching for Clinicians approved for continuing education credits by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
CHEF Coaching for Clinicians included during Lifestyle Medicine In Day-to-Day Practice conference, Harvard Medical School

2019

A new stand-alone CHEF Coaching enduring material CME program was founded by Harvard Medical School
A new stand-alone remote live CHEF Coaching CME program was founded by Harvard Medical School
First report to describe the impact of the Culinary coaching on cafeteria food published
Culinary coaching module developed for the Lifestyle Medicine for Coaches course offered by American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Published first study to identify the value of live online cooking with a chef module for clinical practice

2020

Over 1,000 participants have completed CHEF Coaching the Basics
Culinary coaching chosen as the Culinary Medicine module at the Department of Lifestyle Health Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center
Culinary coaching program chosen as the nutritional intervention for patients with spinal cord injury at Providence Care Hospital
CHEF Coaching selected as an instructional course at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine

2021

First article on culinary coaching’s impact on mental health during the COVID19 pandemic published
Culinary coaching featured in the first Global Positive Health Institute summit
Culinary coaching featured at the International Congress on Metabolic Syndrome 2021
Queen’s Medical School wins grant to evaluate the feasibility of a culinary coaching medical education program as part of medical school education
Culinary coaching featured at the Indian society of lifestyle medicine 2021
Culinary coaching featured at the Malaysian society of lifestyle medicine 2021
First article on culinary coaching, as part of a Whole Health curriculum for physicians assistants in the VA published
Paper describing the impact of a Whole health curriculum that includes culinary coaching published

2022

Spanish language cohort added to the CHEF Coaching offerings
Began study at Queen’s Medical School providing CHEF Coaching training and evaluating the competency of medical students to prescribe nutrition recommendations
Approved CE Course for National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching
Approved CEH provider for the American Culinary Federation
Concluded Queen’s Medical School research pilot study on culinary coaching health outcomes in patients with spinal injuries
Paper describing emotional impact of culinary coaching published

2023

New Member of the Teaching Kitchens Collaborative
Approved Continuing Education Provider American Culinary Federation
Approved Maintenance of Certificate, CME program, for the American / International Board of Lifestyle Medicine

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CHEF Coaching Scientific Publications