Earlier this spring, members of Dell Med’s Pediatrics Residency and Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship completed another session of Eat Well: Culinary Medicine. Culinary Medicine, an educational offering within the Department of Pediatrics, teaches pediatric residents and fellows how food impacts health and how to incorporate nutrition and healthy eating practices into different lifestyles.
The spring session, led by pediatric hospitalist Hanh Keyburn, D.O., and registered dietitian Keli Hawthorne, M.S., focused on pediatric obesity, weight management and portion control. Residents Amanda McCord and Anitta Philip; fellows Kelli Martinez and Kelsey Fath; and Lauren Brauer of Dell Children’s Medical Center provided key curriculum content that supported the session.
Residents and fellows cooked along with Keyburn and Hawthorne in breakout groups to make creamy cauliflower soup with rosemary olive oil; lemon coconut energy balls; shrimp spring rolls with almond butter dipping sauce; and veggie egg muffin cups. These recipes were chosen for a broader discussion about the health benefits of the ingredients and ease of portion control.
For those in Culinary Medicine, increasing nutrition knowledge and practical cooking techniques improves confidence in discussing how to make nutritional changes with patients and families. University of Texas at Austin nutrition students, in their internship program to become registered dietitians, also participated in the group, sharing knowledge on ingredient nutrients and how they impact health. Having this interprofessional aspect to the program provided opportunities to discuss how dietitians and physicians can partner in inpatient and outpatient settings.