Dr. Swati Shah – Delgado Conference Explores Food as Medicine. Photo by Vieta Collins. NEW ORLEANS – Delgado Community College will host the American College of Culinary Medicine (ACCM) annual ‘Health Meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference’ in New Orleans in June, bringing healthcare professionals, culinary educators and researchers together around the growing ‘food as
Dr. Swati Shah - Delgado Conference Explores Food as Medicine. Photo by Vieta Collins.
NEW ORLEANS – Delgado Community College will host the American College of Culinary Medicine (ACCM) annual ‘Health Meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference’ in New Orleans in June, bringing healthcare professionals, culinary educators and researchers together around the growing ‘food as medicine’ movement.
Culinary medicine is an emerging field that integrates cooking and nutrition education into clinical care and disease prevention.
Delgado - ACCM Conference Programming
The event is scheduled for June 12–14 at Delgado’s City Park campus, with optional pre-conference programming beginning June 11. The conference is open to healthcare professionals, culinary educators, researchers and others interested in the intersection of nutrition, cooking and preventive healthcare.
Programming will also incorporate elements tied to New Orleans’ local food culture and community agriculture network, including a community-based walking tour exploring the city’s urban food system, neighborhood agriculture initiatives and farm-to-table culture.
Additional sessions will include lectures, demonstrations and hands-on culinary instruction at Delgado’s Student Life Center and culinary facilities. Organizers said presentations will focus on nutrition science, chronic disease prevention and practical strategies healthcare providers can use to help patients incorporate healthier eating habits.
From Soil to Supper: Community Food Tour
On June 11, attendees can participate in ‘From Soil to Supper: Exploring New Orleans’ Community Food System,’ an educational walking tour led by Swati Shah, a physician and member of Sprout NOLA’s community committee. The tour will examine the city’s urban food system, community agriculture initiatives and farm-to-table culture.
Shah is also the executive founder of PlansConnect LLC, a physician-led coaching and consulting practice focused on health and wellness planning.
“One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of this year for my baby biz, PlansConnect, LLC is designing and hosting ‘Soil to Supper,’ a sold-out pre-conference experience connected to the annual meeting of the American College of Culinary Medicine here in New Orleans in June of this year,” said Shah.
The “Soil to Supper” experience is designed to connect conference attendees with New Orleans’ local food ecosystem, including urban farms, community gardens, farmers markets and regional growers.
“What makes this event meaningful to me is that it goes far beyond a traditional conference activity. It is an opportunity to introduce visiting healthcare professionals, educators, and leaders to the real, living urban food ecosystem that exists in New Orleans, a system built through community collaboration, resilience, and local leadership,” said Shah.
She said the tour will highlight how food systems intersect with public health and neighborhood-level access to fresh food, while also showcasing farm-to-table culture at the community level.
“Through this experience, attendees will learn about home and community gardening, local food access initiatives, farmers markets and regional growers, farm-to-table culture at the neighborhood level, and the role food systems play in public health and community wellness,” said Shah.
Shah added that the experience will also introduce participants to key local organizations and public spaces tied to urban agriculture and community health.
“I’m especially proud to help connect visitors with organizations and spaces that reflect the heart of this work, including the Crescent City Farmers Market, Sprout, and the Lafitte Greenway Partnership, a transformational post-Hurricane Katrina space that now serves as a connector for recreation, transportation, community gathering, and urban green space across New Orleans,” said Shah.
“Sometimes the most meaningful conversations about health don’t begin inside hospitals or conference halls,” said Shah. “Sometimes they begin at a farmer’s market, in a community garden, or around a shared meal.”
Shah said a growing trend is bringing the kitchen into the classroom for medical students, senior citizens, and young moms. She added that initiatives like these are taking place in New Orleans through organizations such as Glade Waves, Crescent City Farmers Market, and the Tulane Goldring Center.
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