Future Chefs’ Beliefs on the Role of Nutrition, Diet, and Healthy Cooking Techniques in Culinary Arts Training for Foodservice: A Cross-Cultural and Gender Perspective

ABSTRACT

This study examined the degree to which culinary students (n = 342) felt nutrition would be an important part of their professional lives using a pragmatic-contextualist approach. We examined differences in beliefs related to gender and diasporic perspectives. The majority felt that chefs should know more healthy cooking techniques and would consider a nutrition-focused job. Two-thirds felt nutrition would play a “very important” role in their future professions, particularly among females and international respondents. Only one-third felt that the restaurant industry viewed nutrition as important. Rethinking how foodservice training is delivered is essential given the renewed interest in international and culinary nutrition.

KEYWORDS:

• Nutrition
• culinary education
• culinary science
• food and culture