How cooks navigate nutrition, hunger and care in public-sector foodservice settings

Bibliographic Data

ID15096012
AuthorsEmma K Tsui (0000-0001-8944-6129, City University of New York, corresponding author), Arelis Morillo (City University of New York)
Year2016
Volume19
Issue5
Pages946-954
Publication date2016-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980015002086
PMID26135913
OpenAlexW1951265392
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited16

Objective To examine the perspectives and practices of cooks responsible for carrying out healthy meal programmes in publicly funded foodservice, in order to better understand what they consider to be ‘good’ food and where nutrition and nutritional standards fit into this conceptualization. Design A qualitative, exploratory study involving in-depth interviews that were conducted with cooks and their supervisors about their work practices and perspectives on providing healthy food for clients. Setting Participants were recruited from child-care, after-school, senior-centre and shelter settings that had participated in healthy menu training in New York City, USA. Subjects Eighteen cooks and nine supervisors working in the aforementioned settings. Results The views and practices of both cooks and supervisors about what constitutes ‘good’ food extend beyond a purely nutritional view of goodness to include the importance of addressing hunger and clients’ food preferences, among other factors. Cooks address these by interacting with clients and altering recipes and menus in a range of ways to maximize the likelihood of food consumption and enjoyment. These approaches are often, but not always, compatible with setting-specific nutritional guidelines that may be set at the national, state, local or organizational level. Conclusions Cooks play a key role in translating nutritional guidelines into what is served. In doing so, they engage in skilled labour and forms of care that increase the ability of public-sector foodservice to address food security and other goals, but these aspects of their work are not widely recognized

Business · Conceptualization · Exploratory research · Food service · Medical education · Political science · Public relations · Public sector · Qualitative research · Sociology · Work (physics · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Engineering · Medicine · Nursing · Obesity and Health Practices · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Psychology · Marketing

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access