Objective: To assess the effect of participation in a Culinary Medicine Class on mental health, food security status, fruit and vegetable intake, and academic performance among undergraduate college students.

Design: This was a pre and post-intervention study.

Setting: A culinary medicine class at a public university, a Minority Serving Institution, in southwestern U.S. during Spring 2024.

Participants: Undergraduate college students enrolled in a 15-week 3-credit Culinary Medicine and Wellness (CMW) class.

Intervention: A 15-week CMW class, which included instruction on cooking and preparing healthy meals on a budget.

Main Outcome Measures: Mental health status, food security status, fruit and vegetable intake, and academic performance of undergraduate college students. The survey also collected qualitative feedback on the acceptability and feasibility of the CMW class among participants.

Analysis: Descriptive statistics and analyses of trends in mean outcomes were performed. Program evaluation was analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Eleven students completed both pre and post-CMW class surveys. On average, students were 24 years old, 73% Black/African American, all female, all reported experiencing either low or very low food security, but only 55% were Pell Grant eligible, and none were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The average annual grade point average was 3.3 ± 0.6. The mean resilience score remained high (>25) at both time points and mean perceived stress reduced from 19.3 ± 7.7 to 17.5 ± 7.5. Students reported low risk for depressive symptoms, minimal to mild anxiety, and relied more on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies compared to avoidant coping strategies. Percentage of participants consuming 3-4 servings of vegetables daily increased from 36% to 73%. Fresh fruit and canned fruit consumption per week improved. There was a decrease in the number of meals skipped post-intervention. All students reported they would recommend the CMW class; 73% rated it as excellent, and 82% felt they learned to cook and budget effectively.

Conclusion and Implications: The acceptability and feasibility of the CMW class among undergraduate college students at a Minority Serving Institution suggests the class offers a promising approach to improve cooking skills, nutrition knowledge, fruit and vegetable intake, and reduce stress. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand the long-term effect of the CMW class on food security, academic performance, and mental health.