Emory Healthy Kitchen Collaborative

The Emory Healthy Kitchen Collaborative (EHKC) is a teaching kitchen program at Emory University that combines educational information with hands-on learning in nutrition, culinary arts, exercise, yoga, mindfulness and sleep.

About the program

The program was founded in 2019 with its inaugural program run at Emory University Hospital. We are delighted to be able to offer the program again this year! This time the program will be virtual. It will consist of 10 live virtual sessions over a 10-week period, followed by additional support and access to health coaching for a total of 12 months. The pilot is open to Emory benefits-eligible employees and is also a clinical trial.

Forty-five committed participants will be selected for this program based on specific criteria. The program is free; however, participants are asked to supply their own cooking supplies and utensils for use in the demonstrations. Each of the participants will be asked to provide informed consent and complete a series of questionnaires at 4 specific points during the program (before the program begins, at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month marks).

Place & Time

The program will be delivered via a virtual platform. There will be 10 live mandatory sessions. There will be additional prerecorded videos and other resources that participants are expected to access at their own convenience during the weeks preceding each live session. Sessions will last 60-75 minutes and will take place every Tuesday at 6pm. The classes will be held each week starting March 1, 2021 through the week of May 3, 2021.

What is included in the program?

The EHKC course includes a 20 hour self-care curriculum that has been carefully developed by Emory University experts in the fields of nutrition, culinary arts, exercise, yoga, mindfulness sleep.

Participants will have access to a user-friendly virtual learning platform that will house the content – such a videos, articles, discussion boards and quizzes. Some of the content will be prerecorded and available at participants’ convenience.

Tuesday classes will take place every week at 6 pm for 10 consecutive weeks and will include hands-on learning and discussion. It is ideal if participants can be at home during this time to prepare foods in their kitchen, practice yoga, exercise, and meditate. Participants will need to have access to the internet and will be encouraged to keep their cameras on and actively participate in group discussion.

After the 10-week course is over participants will continue to have access to group coaching and virtual yoga classes. All participants are asked to complete progress questionnaires for the remainder of the year.

Who Should Apply?

This program is for individuals who want to feel empowered about their health and wellbeing. It will teach the self-care skills that can serve as the foundation for your long-term health and happiness.

Why should you participate?

The EHKC is unique because of the remarkable level of expertise of its contributors. The presenters bring years of academic, professional and practical experience in their respective fields that is amplified by their passion to spread the message of health and wellness.

Finally, programs of similar format are often costly and range anywhere from $800 to $3000+. Because of Emory’s dedication to employee wellness, and thanks to a generous grant from Ardmore Institute of Health, we can offer this virtual program at no cost to you. All we ask is your commitment to stick with the program, attend the sessions, and provide feedback.

FAQs

Great! Please fill out this eligibility survey.

The recruitment window will close on January 31, 2021. We will make the decision about the participants accepted in the program and communicate to you if you were accepted by February 12th, 2021.

Must be an Emory benefits-eligible employee.

We have developed a scoring criteria to help us choose participants that may benefit from the program the most. Preference will be given to first-time participants who can attend all the sessions, are willing to make lifestyle change, and have elevated BMI and pre-existing conditions. If participants have the same score, the preference will be given to those who applied first – so don’t wait!

The program is free to Emory employees who apply and are accepted to be a participant. Cooking supplies and utensils will be used in culinary demonstrations and are not supplied by the program. Please plan to purchase items as needed for your personal use (see below regarding details).

A laptop with a camera and microphone or phone will be needed to participate. You will also need Wi-Fi or a good internet connection to participate in the Zoom calls.

The equipment needs are minimal. Kitchen: A basic set of knives and cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, pans and bowls are all you need. A food processer and Instapot may be used but are not required. We will make sure to provide work-arounds and will keep the ingredients as simple and cost-effective as possible! Yoga and exercise: A yoga mat, blocks and resistance bands may be helpful. Biometrics: You will need access to a scale and a blood pressure measuring device at 4 times during the program.

Yes. Due to a limited space we have in this pilot we would really love for our participants to take a full advantage of information and training.

Absolutely! We encourage you to engage your family members in the experiential sessions and share the recorded resources.

Questions

If you have additional questions that were not answered here please email us at healthykitchen@emoryhealthcare.org.