Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2025 Feb 6;31(2):404-410. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae141.

Kelsey Ryan ¹, Caroline Salozzo ², Sally Schwartz ², Micquel Hart ³, Ya Tuo ⁴, Amanda Wenzel ⁵, Samantha Saul ⁶, Jennifer Strople ^1 3, Jeffrey Brown ^1 3, Joseph Runde ^1 3

Author information

¹Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

²Department of Clinical Nutrition, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

³Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

⁴Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.

⁵Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.

⁶Section of Gastroenterology, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Abstract

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recommended for all patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unless there is a specific contraindication. Culinary medicine has emerged as a method for improving dietary education. Patients and caregivers are often invested in making dietary changes to improve disease control. Here, we examine the dietary preferences of a group of young people with IBD and apply culinary medicine techniques with an in-person MD-focused cooking class.

Methods: A survey evaluating dietary attitudes was sent to an IBD email listserv at our tertiary care center (n = 779). A validated questionnaire, the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents was used to assess MD adherence. IBD dietitians customized 2 in-person MD-focused cooking classes, one for children 6 to 12 years of age (arm 1) and one for adolescents 13 to 17 years of age (arm 2). Baseline, 1-month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up surveys were completed.

Results: There were 112 survey responses. Participants were 67.0% male with diagnosis of Crohn's disease (50.0%), ulcerative colitis (42.0%), or IBD unclassified (8.0%). Most were managed on advanced therapies (82.0%). Most reported making decisions about diet (82.0%) in order to help with IBD, had met with a dietitian (69.0%), and were interested in learning more about the MD (55.3%). MD scores were primarily in the average (49.5%) and poor (41.1%) diet categories. Only those eating together as a family 3 or more times per week or those who had met with a dietitian scored in the optimal diet category. The median MD score at baseline was 4.5, increasing to 6.0 at 1 month and 7.0 at 3 months postintervention. Almost all (90%) would recommend cooking classes to others. Common barriers to MD uptake included lack of knowledge about which foods to prepare, concern about taste, and time to prepare food.

Conclusions: This study showcases high patient and caregiver interest in dietary management of IBD and demonstrates efficacy of education via application of culinary medicine. Classes were well received by families and MD adherence scores increased postintervention. As patients with IBD and their families are often motivated to incorporate dietary therapy into their care, this work highlights the role of culinary medicine and value of future study.