By eating more healthily they are improving the relationship between the gut ’ s microbiome and the brain .
Cooking with confidence
Being confident in the kitchen boosts mental health , new research shows .
Emilie Lauer
A new study from Edith Cowan University suggests that being confident in your cooking not only improves the quality of your meals but also boosts mental health .
The study , conducted in partnership with Jamie ’ s Ministry of Food initiative and The Good Foundation , provided cooking classes in a mobile food kitchen in the community .
In total , 657 participants across ECU ’ s Perth and South West campuses undertook the seven-week healthy cooking course from 2016 to 2018 .
During that period , ECU Institute for Nutrition researchers measured the participant ’ s cooking confidence , their self-perceived mental health and their overall satisfaction around cooking and diet behaviours .
Researchers found that participants who undertook the healthy cooking program experienced significant improvements in their mental health , their general health and also in their vitality . These improvements were visible immediately at the end of the program and remained active for the following six months .
According to ECU lead researcher of the study Dr Joanna Rees , these results might be explained by the lack of knowledge around healthy food and how to achieve a balanced diet .
“ People are interested in eating healthy but have a hard time navigating all the information surrounding the topic . So being confident in the kitchen and being able to put together healthy meals from scratch would make you feel better about yourself .
“ And at the same time , perhaps without them realising , by eating more healthily they are improving the relationship between the gut ’ s microbiome and the brain , which improves mental health ,” she added .
Rees also noted that Australians do not meet the recommended fruits and vegetable daily intake , as well as the recommended serving of dietary fibre and whole grains .
In a previous study , the ECU Institute for Nutrition found that eating more fruits and vegetables improved long term mental health , implying the participants in the seven week cooking course might have seen an improvement of their mental health due to a better balanced diet .
However , the current study showed every participant ’ s mental health improved , even if their diet didn ’ t change at the end of the program .
“ This suggests a link between cooking confidence , satisfaction around cooking , and mental health benefits ,” Rees said .
During the cooking course participants learned how to put together easy recipes in 30 minutes , using basic ingredients .
Rees noted that from an individual perspective , cooking your own meal from scratch gives you the opportunity to know exactly what goes into your food and subsequently supports good mental health .
Results also indicate that , by learning how to prepare their food , participants in the study showed an ability to change their eating habits and to easily overcome lifestyle barriers to healthy eating .
CLOSING THE GENDER GAP The study also revealed that there is still a predominance of females being the food gatekeeper , but this is gradually shifting .
At the start of the cooking course , 77 per cent of the female participants declared being confident in their cooking skills , against 23 per cent of males . By the end of the study , cooking competences and confidence were equal amongst both genders .
“ Men generally have a higher intake in discretionary foods . By increasing their cooking skills , they are more likely to reduce their intake of that type of food which has little to no nutritional value ,” Rees said .
A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE Learning how to cook and being confident in the kitchen does not only benefit the individual , but also the whole family , said Rees .
Children who see their parents cooking are more likely to take that behaviour on as they progress through life , being less likely to rely on convenience food and therefore having better mental health .
Dr Rees believes that we should educate kids from a very young age to understand nutrition and how their gut works , showing them the value of good food .
“ Teaching at school will help to target mental health before it becomes an issue ,” she said .
‘ How a 7-Week Food Literacy Program Affects Cooking Confidence and Mental Health : Findings of a Quasi-Experimental Controlled Intervention Trial ’ was published in Frontiers in Nutrition . ■
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