Ozge Cemali, Aydan Ercan, Hamdi Nezih Dagdeviren
Eurasian Journal of Family Medicine - 2025;14(4):204-221
Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Culinary Workshop conducted during the 14th International Family Medicine Congress at Trakya University in improving healthy eating awareness, sustainable cooking behaviors, and counseling skills among family physicians. Methods: The workshop initially included 25 physicians and was completed with 17 participants. Pre- and post-workshop quantitative forms and qualitative questions assessed cooking habits, barriers, expectations, knowledge, and sustainability perceptions. Quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 22.0; qualitative data were examined via thematic analysis. Sensory evaluation, food waste measurements, and sustainability indicators of prepared recipes were also assessed. Results: Most participants cooked meals daily (44%) and rarely used frozen foods or ready-made meals. Key barriers were lack of time (33.9%) and fatigue (30.5%). Expectations centered on practicality (25%) and healthy recipes (23.6%). The workshop met expectations for 96% of participants. Significant improvements were observed in Mediterranean diet knowledge, healthy cooking methods, food waste reduction, environmental -economic awareness, menu planning and freezer use. Sensory analysis favored balanced recipes, while food waste varied widely across dishes. Sustainability assessment showed lower environmental impact for plant-based and egg-based recipes compared with multi-ingredient dishes. Conclusion: The workshop enhanced sustainable nutrition awareness, practice-oriented skills, and counseling confidence, demonstrating its value as an experiential training model in primary care.
