Time-Efficiency and Impact Evaluation of a Culinary Workshop for Physicians: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Culinary Workshop conducted during the 14th International Family Medicine Congress at Trakya University in improving healthy eating awareness, sustainable cooking behaviors, and counseling skills among family physicians. Methods: The workshop initially included 25 physicians and was completed with 17 participants. Pre- and post-workshop quantitative forms and qualitative questions assessed cooking habits, barriers, expectations, knowledge, and sustainability perceptions. Quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 22.0; qualitative data were examined via thematic analysis. Sensory evaluation, food waste measurements, and sustainability indicators of prepared recipes were also assessed. Results: Most participants cooked meals daily (44%) and rarely used frozen foods or ready-made meals. Key barriers were lack of time (33.9%) and fatigue (30.5%). Expectations centered on practicality (25%) and healthy recipes (23.6%). The workshop met expectations for 96% of participants. Significant improvements were observed in Mediterranean diet knowledge, healthy cooking methods, food waste reduction, environmental–economic awareness, menu planning and freezer use. Sensory analysis favored balanced recipes, while food waste varied widely across dishes. Sustainability assessment showed lower environmental impact for plant-based and egg-based recipes compared with multi-ingredient dishes. Conclusion: The workshop enhanced sustainable nutrition awareness, practice-oriented skills, and counseling confidence, demonstrating its value as an experiential training model in primary care. Keywords: food, cooking, workshops, experiential learning, food waste