Food and Culinary Knowledge and Skills: Perceptions of Undergraduate Dietetic Students

The objective of the current study was to examine food and culinary skills and knowledge of dietetic students.

An online bilingual survey was created using Survey Monkey^TM to explore the skills, knowledge, and perceptions of undergraduate dietetic students regarding food and cooking. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to compare skills and knowledge of food and culinary concepts.

The final sample included second- (n = 22) and third-year (n = 22) students within the Baccalauréat specialisé en sciences de la nutrition program at the University of Ottawa. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) on 3 of 4 skills (preparing a cake, whipping egg whites, or baking a yeast bread) or knowledge concepts (fold, baste, braise, grill, and poach) amongst second- and third-year students. Third-year students perceived more skill in preparing a béchamel sauce. There was a trend for third-year students (59%) to have higher food and cooking skills and knowledge compared with second-year students (32%).

Perceived knowledge and confidence was proportional with the academic year, whereas overall knowledge and skills of food and culinary concepts were moderate among both groups of students. This research suggests that more dedicated time may need to be spent on food and cooking competencies in undergraduate dietetic education.