Cooking for the Climate with Dr Hayley Tait

Hayley is delighted to be on the PBHP UK team to develop a new culinary medicine course, ‘’Cooking for the Climate’’, which encompasses the planetary impact as well as all species health. Cooking for the Climate will be accessible as a course on PBHP UK website, is running as an adventurous special study module in University Medical Schools and has one-off events incorporating live interactive feature cook-alongs, always highlighting the importance of how what we chose to eat affects all of us.

Watch our ‘Cook-along’ by Dr Hayley Tait and Jan Deckers

With sponsorship from PBHP UK and Samson Security, Hayley has established a Community Plant Based Cook School “Vinny’s Kitchen” based in Liverpool. Vinny’s Kitchen aims to teach individuals and families how to cook delicious plant-based meals, which can be distributed to our homeless or to other vulnerable groups of our society. Thanks to funding from PBHP UK this runs as a weekly free event.

Find out more on Hayley’s instagram: @health_on_the_hob

University Course

The Cooking for the Climate (C4C) Course is offered to universities as an Student Selected Unit during medical student training. It is currently teaching at Exeter and Southampton Medical Schools.

It will be offered to all health care professionals as a full day course, with access to teaching videos.

Course Outline:

Cooking for the Climate is a culinary medicine adventure introducing the principles and practical skills of a sustainable plant-based diet for personal and planetary health.

Unhealthy diets are a leading cause of chronic illness, contributing to 20% of deaths. In addition, our food system is a leading contributor to the climate and ecological crises. A transition to a healthy plant-based diet in line with the Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Plate has the potential to not only reduce the burden of chronic illness but also keep our food system within planetary boundaries.

The course will discuss the principles of a sustainable plant-based diet and it’s potential to positively impact global and personal health. The course will discuss common controversies and concerns, whilst supporting participants to learn how to cook simple, affordable, accessible and delicious food. This will provide C4C students with the confidence to incorporate a plant-based diet into their personal and clinical practice.

Course Aims:

To understand the benefits of a sustainable plant-based diet for human and planetary health.

To learn how to bring sustainable diets into clinical practice

Discuss the main food groups with examples and culinary use and relate these to planetary impact.

Take part in Cook-a-longs. All students will cook-along in fun and interactive way, with informal discussion and revision of the components of healthy and sustainable diet.

Discussions on the scientific evidence and controversies relating to plant-based diets and impact on global health.

To compose a complete and healthy meal plan that’s inclusive and culturally appropriate.

To learn the culinary skills to cook a day’s whole food plant-based meals.

Here’s some of the feedback the course has received

1

I’m including more whole grains and legumes into what I cook now
I have cut fish out of my diet after watching the Seaspiracy and learning about the negative impact it has on the environment
I have also cut out all red meat as well and hoping to stop eating meat altogether soon

2

Previously wanted to reduce the amount of meat eaten in my diet but was unsure on how to make changes to my diet. The recipes shown throughout this course helped give me inspiration which I have now applied to my diet

3

Eating more legumes, pulses, nuts and less processed vegan stuff

4

Health reasons from seeing how milk isn’t necessary to drink, animal welfare reasons seeing how milk is farmed and oat milk doesn’t taste that bad

5

At first for the planet and now also because I realised how much better I felt health wise

6

Have cut down to almost no red meat – due to the health disadvantages I am now aware of

7

I wanted to be able to eat lots of delicious food but on a student budget. I also wanted to expand my repertoire of flavours and how they go together plus some new cooking tips.

8

I’ve had issues with constipation that’s really negatively impacted my life and I’ve found since including more high fibre foods in my diet like wholewheat flour and brown rice, these issues haven’t occurred again at all.

9

It was a great mix of lectures, reading, discussions and debates. Having the ‘for and against’ debate was great for pitching the different aspects of plant based foods in direct contrast with meat/dairy.

10

I certainly felt more informed to share my knowledge with friends/ family/ colleagues.

11

Hayley was a brilliant teacher and very friendly. She was very easy to talk to and discuss ideas with. Most of the food required was easily accessible and easy to cook with. Thoroughly enjoyed the course.

12

I really enjoyed the course, it taught me so much from the impact of my diet on the planet, to the impact it has on me, to how we (as HCP’s) can promote plant based diets in society. I also learnt many new recipients to add to my repertoire.

12.1

I really enjoyed the course as a whole

13

I feel as though a plant based diet should be taught to everyone, as it has a crazy amount of benefits

14

Hayley was brilliant. She was very engaging and enthusiastic. She communicated effectively with us, which was much aided by her setting up of a WhatsApp group. I had a great time learning about plant based diets with her.

15

Thank you so much – you’ve really opened my eyes to a different way of thinking that I know is better for not only me but also the planet.

16

I was pleasantly surprised by some of the recipes and intend to recreate them

17

I loved Hayley’s enthusiasm and passion – it made the course much more engaging and encouraged me to explore topics discussed further in my own time. I like how we had the choice to cook meals we already enjoy, just making them plant-based and more environmentally friendly.

Contact us if you want to book a cook along

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