A Teaching Kitchen Program Improves Employee Micronutrient and Healthy Dietary Consumption

OBJECTIVE: To measure changes in micronutrient adequacy and diet quality in healthcare and university employees who underwent a 10-week teaching kitchen program. METHODS: Thirty-eight healthcare and university employees participated in a 10-week teaching kitchen program. Twenty-seven completed self-administered, 24-hour dietary recalls to measure dietary intake at baseline and 3-months. Micronutrient adequacy and diet quality was assessed using Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). RESULTS: Seventy percent of participants were classified as low or moderate micronutrient adequacy at baseline. The proportion of participants with high micronutrient adequacy increased from 30% to 48% at 3-month follow-up. Total HEI and most HEI components increased at follow-up; with a statistically significant increase in seafood/plant protein score (P = .007). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our results suggest an inadequacy in micronutrient intake in university and healthcare employees and that teaching kitchens may help improve micronutrient adequacy and diet quality.