A recipe for success

From left to right: Jennie MacIntosh, QCH occupational therapist; Pam Bennett, QCH recreologist; and Cindy Sass, QCH registered dietician.

Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) has launched a new cooking group for inpatients in The Barbara Crook and Dan Greenberg Mental Health Centre.

The program is hosted in the centre’s newly renovated Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Kitchen and is led collaboratively by dieticians, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists.

“It starts with education,” says Cindy Sass, a registered dietician at QCH. “We go over nutrition basics and provide individuals with the knowledge needed to not only understand what foods they should be eating, but why.”

The program also covers budgeting, ensuring individuals can make informed and economical selections at the grocery store.

The second part of the program sees participants in the kitchen for hands-on learning.

“Cooking is an essential life skill and a great form of therapy,” says Jennie MacIntosh, an occupational therapist at QCH. “While learning how to bake blueberry oat muffins or cook a lasagna, they’re also socializing with peers and working as a team.”

The program has received five-star reviews from participants too. “Cooking puts me in a better mood,” said one patient. “It has helped build my confidence about returning to living independent.”

The space is fully equipped with a sink, fridge, oven, stove, and all the cooking gadgets you’d typically find in a kitchen. Recipes are designed to be budget-friendly, nutritional, and easy to follow, so that patients can effortlessly incorporate their new skills into life at home.

Each week, an average of 10 patients benefit from the nutrition education sessions and cooking groups.