Why kids and families learn to cook during doctor's appointments at a Massachusetts hospital
March is Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month, and for families navigating celiac disease, treatment does not come in the form of medication or a cure. Instead, it requires a lifelong commitment to a strict gluten-free diet.
At Boston Children's Hospital's Needham campus, that education is happening in an unexpected place - the kitchen.
What looks at first like a cooking class, is actually a doctor's appointment designed to help children and families build real-life skills around food and health.
"It's a billable service that were offering. It's a nutrition education appointment, and we're giving them the education as well as some practical skills," explained culinary nutrition manager Nolan Reese.
Boston Children's Hospital teaching kitchen
Reese and dietitian Maria Cherry run the hospital's newly opened teaching kitchen in Needham, a space where families can learn how to cook for a range of health needs, including celiac disease, epilepsy and diabetes.
"What I talk about in these classes is that when we're looking at our food groups, the majority are naturally gluten-free. So if we focus on what we already have that is gluten-free, like fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein, that's going to help us create really great, healthy recipes instead of focusing so much on what we're missing when we're talking about a gluten-free diet," Cherry said.
"If a kid is newly diagnosed and we tell them what they need to eat, it might go in one ear and out the other," Reese said. "But we use this space to sort of practice those skills and help really solidify those recommendations."
Giving kids confidence
For kids with epilepsy, the kitchen can be a place to learn about the ketogenic diet and how to carefully measure ingredients. For children with diabetes, it can help teach carb counting and practical cooking skills that build confidence outside the hospital setting.
Cherry said the kitchen creates a more comfortable, collaborative environment for patients and families.
"We have more of a back and forth, and it's more collaborative," she said. "I think that really takes off the pressure."
The pair also brings their recipes beyond the kitchen and onto YouTube, sharing dishes like black bean and sweet potato quesadillas and gluten-free chickpea cookie dough — meals designed to be inclusive for the whole family.
"Creating recipes that are easy for all friends and family to enjoy, and not feel like they're missing out on anything, are really important," Cherry said.
The teaching kitchen is also preparing to expand its reach, with plans to offer free community classes in the near future, giving more families access to hands-on nutrition education.
"We want kids to feel confident managing their conditions in the real world," Reese said. "And this gives them a way to practice those skills and actually make it fun."
