Physicians and other Medical/Healthcare Professionals looking to learn, connect and drive real-world impact in the food is medicine movement now have two ways to engage with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and our academic partners.

1. Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference

Presented by the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Department of Nutrition.

A pioneering educational program, Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives consistently has garnered a sold-out audience—upwards of 500 attendees each year—since its inception in 2006 and is widely recognized for its impact on clinical practice and lifestyle medicine. It has inspired many medical professionals to get culinary degrees and birthed the Teaching Kitchen movement.

2. NEW! Food is Life, Food is Health Summit – Launching May 2026.

Presented by the Culinary Institute of America and Stanford Medicine, in collaboration with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Department of Nutrition.

This new summit is designed as a truly interdisciplinary, cross-sector experience—bringing together physicians and healthcare professionals with chefs and culinary professionals—as a compelling complement to Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives, expanding the conversation and practical insights across healthcare, food systems, sustainability, and the culinary world , and encouraging healthcare and culinary professionals to work together to shape the future of personal, public, and planetary health.

Two Conferences, A Shared Vision

Both pioneering conferences are grounded in a shared vision and commitment to improving health and preventing chronic disease through evidence-informed food and lifestyle choices, deeper nutrition knowledge, and best practices in healthcare, food, and cooking. Together, they reflect the growing momentum of the food is medicine movement and the essential role of culinary insight and food literacy in advancing personal, public, and planetary health outcomes.

Both offer CME and other continuing education credits, and take place at the CIA at Copia, in Napa Valley, California.

How the Conferences Differ

Audience

1

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference

Primarily serves medical and allied healthcare professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, registered dietitians, and other healthcare professionals—along with business leaders from hospitals, health systems, insurance organizations, and related sectors.

Food is Life, Food is Health Summit

Brings together a cross-sector audience of medical and other healthcare professionals—working side-by-side, learning and exchanging ideas—with chefs and culinary professionals from across the foodservice industry, including those working to advance healthy menu strategies, wellness, and performance opportunities.  

Scope of Content

2

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference

Focuses on patient health within clinical and healthcare settings, emphasizing prevention and treatment approaches informed by healthier lifestyle choices.

 

Food is Life, Food is Health Summit

Explores the intersection of food, nutrition, sustainability, culinary insight and global food cultures—from medicine and healthcare to professional kitchens and food systems—supporting better patient outcomes, as well as general population wellness, and the wider adoption of healthy, sustainable food choices. 

Experiential Learning

3

Both conferences offer great opportunities for immersive, food-centric learning experiences including culinary demonstrations, hands-on kitchen workshops, and extensive tastings.

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives affectionately referred to by past attendees as “the cooking CME conference,” the hands-on culinary workshops, led by CIA chefs, and culinary demonstrations are what set this conference apart from other lifestyle medicine conferences.

Food is Life, Food is Health features a broader range of experiential options, including guided flavor-crafting exercises and sensory-intensive Napa Valley field trips in addition to culinary demonstrations and hands-on cooking workshops.    

Please see below for more details on each conference.

Food is Life, Food is Health Summit

Food is Life, Food is Health is presented by the Culinary Institute of America and Stanford Medicine, in collaboration with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Department of Nutrition. Launching in 2026, this new summit is designed as a truly interdisciplinary experience.

Key features include:

  • A conference framing focused on the shared educational interests of healthcare and culinary professionals, bringing physicians, dietitians, and other clinicians together with chefs and foodservice leaders as professional peers. The program is intentionally designed so these communities learn with—and from—one another.

  • A diverse group of participating culinary professionals, including chefs working in healthcare, restaurants, foodservice, wellness, and high-performance environments (e.g., sports medicine), all exploring how culinary strategy can support optimal health without sacrificing pleasure, culture, or creativity.

  • A deep dive into current and emerging nutrition science, highlighting areas of global scientific consensus that inform evidence-based dietary guidance, while helping participants navigate myths, misunderstandings, and commercial or political influence.

  • A core commitment to planetary health and an integration of the science of sustainability, recognizing that long-term personal and public health are increasingly understood to be inseparable from sustainable food systems, climate resilience, and overall planetary health.

  • Culinary demonstrations and guided flavor immersion experiences that explore the art, craft and science of deliciousness—and how a stronger understanding of flavor, technique, and elements of food culture can support meaningful behavior change. These sessions are designed to be engaging and relevant for both medical and culinary audiences.

  • A deep respect for global food cultures—from the Mediterranean and Asia to Africa, the African diaspora, and Latin America—with attention to culturally appropriate health coaching and healthy menu design as essential tools for real-world impact.

  • Inspiration for building leadership vision and skills—and fostering collaboration—at the nexus of food, health, medicine, and sustainability, with the goal of accelerating positive change.

  • CME and other continuing education credits are offered.

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives is presented by the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Department of Nutrition and has been a widely acclaimed, pioneering educational program with sold-out audiences for nearly two decades.

Key features include:

  • A primary audience of physicians, registered dietitians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, along with business leaders from hospitals, health systems, insurance organizations, and related sectors. Chefs participate as part of the conference faculty in leading culinary demonstrations and guiding hands-on teaching kitchen experiences.

  • A strong clinical and educational orientation, with didactic sessions covering the foundations of nutrition science alongside culinary insight, mindfulness, physical activity, health coaching, and best practices in patient care. Nutrition science presentations range from the emerging understanding of the biological mechanisms of how food choices can positively impact health outcomes to strategies to address patient and practitioner confusion in an era of shifting dietary guidance.

  • An emphasis on practical tools for clinical practice and leadership, helping healthcare professionals become more effective advocates for healthy eating and healthy lifestyles within clinical and community settings.

  • Culinary demonstrations and hands-on cooking experiences in the CIA’s professional teaching kitchens, designed to help healthcare professionals better understand healthy cooking principles, techniques, and food preparation strategies. Cooking alongside expert chef instructors helps position participants to support improved patient engagement and healthier eating patterns.

  • Exposure to a wide range of global flavors, including cuisines of the Mediterranean, Africa and the African diaspora, Latin America, and Asia, as part of the culinary learning experience.

  • The role of teaching kitchens in hospitals and other settings as catalysts for innovation in healthcare, inspired by the framing of food is medicine and its potential to enhance patient engagement and health outcomes.

  • CME and other continuing education credits are offered.