Cooking skills are important competencies for promoting healthy eating in an urban Indigenous health service

Aim: A recent article in this journal asked whether cooking should be a dietetic competency and recommended finding dietitians’ views on the use of cooking skills interventions as nutrition education. This article presents views about the value of cooking skills in the work of nutrition professionals and students working in an urban Indigenous health service. Methods: We reflect on our experience facilitating a series of practical cooking workshops in adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups and the importance of cooking skills for professionals promoting nutrition in community contexts. Results: Cooking skills were essential for facilitating practical workshops to promote healthy cooking and eating among urban community groups. The workshops provided participants with new cooking ideas, opportunities to cook new recipes and some unfamiliar ingredients as well as learning new cooking skills. These enabled participants to be more confident preparing healthy meals at home. Cooking skills enhanced the processes of both effective community engagement and nutrition promotion. Conclusion: Cooking interventions make an important contribution to promoting nutrition in urban Indigenous contexts and cooking skills are therefore important competencies for nutrition and dietetic professionals delivering practical community nutrition programs.