First-year medical students learn that food is medicine in the teaching kitchen

“You are what you eat” may sound like a silly adage parents use to encourage their children to eat less sweets, but, in reality, the saying holds some truth. The health of your body is often a direct reflection of the food you put into it. Food not only provides energy to accomplish day-to-day activities, but serves as a form of medicine—helping prevent disease and manage chronic conditions. 

At Case Western Reserve, 2026 started off hot as medical students learned this lesson firsthand through a culinary medicine immersion in the university's teaching kitchen thanks to the School of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition.

Part of the school’s first-year MD curriculum, the week-long, hands-on learning experience explores food as medicine, imparting nutrition concepts while exposing students to simple recipes, new foods and cooking techniques to maximize flavor while being culturally- and budget-friendly. Beyond improving students’ own kitchen skills, the course prepares these future physicians to confidently share nutrition knowledge with patients in the community.

“This session really opened my eyes, not only to making healthy nutrition choices, but also safe ones,” shared Medical Education Pathway student Arthy Suresh. “I also really enjoyed spending time with my classmates in the kitchen—cooking together, sharing the meal and celebrating each other’s creations.”

By teaching students about the healing power of food, the experience helps bridge the gap between nutrition and treatment, supporting a healthier society where people understand that some of the best medicine might be right in their own kitchen.