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Key Takeaways
Cooking classes may offer more than delicious meals.
A new study found that participants of a 7-week cooking program gained cooking confidence and mental health improvements.
Sharing and caring for one another through food is common in many cultures and is empowering, Rees said.
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How May Cooking Class Improve Mental Health?
She encourages students to talk about something uncomfortable or scary while theyre baking together side-by-side.
Food can be an entry point toward healing, she said.
And typically that does not honor someones unique taste or cultural preferences.
She said that cooking classes can offer social and mental health benefits, especially during times of isolation.
COVID-19 was a prime example of how damaging social isolation can be on mental health.
Hosting virtual cooking classes is also one way to support mental health during the pandemic.
Cooking is still seen as a highly gendered task.
More research is needed on how exactly cooking classes can improve mental health outcomes.
What This Means For You
Cooking may be one way to support your mental health.
you’ve got the option to also look for virtual cooking classes online.
2021;161:105117. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105117
Edith Cowan University.Chefs kiss: research shows healthy home cooking equals a healthy mind.
