What I Learned Teaching the First Cohort of Food School

This week, I wrapped up the very first cohort of Food School and before jumping straight into what’s next, I wanted to pause and reflect.

Creating and teaching this program has been energizing, humbling, and incredibly affirming in ways I didn’t fully expect.

One of the biggest highlights was getting to meet such an inspiring group of Registered Dietitians. This cohort included RDs with specialties ranging from working with athletes to supporting members of the military, and it reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time: our field is full of deeply skilled professionals who are hungry for tools that help them translate nutrition into real life.

Another big takeaway? Everyone is busy. Even the most motivated people can struggle to show up live week after week. That insight has shaped how I’m approaching the next iteration of Food School. For the February relaunch, the program will be self-paced, with optional office hours for support and connection. My goal is to make this education fit into real schedules, not to compete with them.

This first cohort also solidified my belief that culinary skills are an essential (and often missing) part of nutrition practice. While the course is called Cooking Class Blueprint, it’s about much more than teaching cooking classes. It’s designed to help RDs integrate culinary arts into their work in meaningful, flexible ways whether that’s building signature programs, creating hands-on workshops, or using food as a powerful engagement and behavior-change tool with clients.

On a personal note, I surprised myself with just how much I’ve learned through the act of teaching. I truly can’t imagine starting from zero now. Over the course of building Food School, I created 170 pages of guidance designed to walk RDs through every piece of the process from concept to execution so they don’t have to figure it out the hard way. That depth came from years of experience, but it was sharpened and clarified through this first cohort.

For February, I’ll also be offering different levels of support, so participants can choose how deep they want to go. Some may want the core framework, while others may want more hands-on feedback and guidance and I want the program to support both.

Most of all, I’m feeling more inspired than ever. There are so many opportunities to incorporate culinary arts into nutrition practice, and this approach continues to feel both fun and deeply impactful. Cooking has a way of opening doors to confidence, connection, and lasting change and I’m excited to keep building a program that helps RDs harness that power.

I’m already at work refining Food School for an even stronger February relaunch, and I can’t wait to share what’s coming next.