Culinary Nutrition Interventions for Those Living with and Beyond Cancer and Their Support Networks: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This review finds that culinary nutrition programs can help cancer survivors and their support networks improve diet and quality of life.

Contribution

The study systematically evaluates the impact of culinary nutrition interventions on cancer survivors and their support networks.

Findings

Culinary nutrition interventions improve dietary intake and quality of life for cancer survivors.

These interventions are well-received and show positive effects on mental health and self-efficacy.

Further high-quality research is needed to quantify long-term benefits and effects.

Abstract

Life after cancer brings ongoing challenges related to nutrition, wellbeing, and long-term health. Many people living with and beyond cancer find it difficult to follow recommended healthy eating habits and need practical, supportive dietary guidance. Culinary nutrition interventions may offer a useful solution, as they combine nutrition knowledge with hands-on cooking skills, sensory experiences, behaviour change strategies, and social support. Previous studies suggest that cooking skill interventions can improve food literacy, build confidence around food choices, reduce food-related anxiety, and strengthen social connections and family involvement. This review examined the current scientific literature to assess the effects of culinary nutrition interventions on health-related outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer, as well as for their support networks. Overall, the findings show that these interventions, whether delivered alone or combined with physical activity or mental health components, are generally beneficial. Improvements were seen across most outcome areas, particularly those valued by the cancer community, such as dietary intake and quality of life. Although the exact size of these effects cannot be determined, this review highlights their potential and identifies priorities for future research.

People living with and beyond cancer often face ongoing challenges related to nutrition, wellbeing, and long-term health. Many individuals express a need for evidence-based, tailored dietary support, yet practical approaches to sustaining healthy eating behaviours remain limited. Culinary nutrition interventions, which integrate nutrition education with hands-on culinary skills, may help address these needs; however, their effects have not been systematically synthesised. This systematic review evaluates the impact of culinary nutrition interventions, delivered alone or in combination with physical activity or mental health components, on dietary intake, psychosocial and health-related outcomes, anthropometric measures, clinical and metabolic markers, and feasibility among individuals living with or beyond cancer. Following PRISMA guidelines, 18 studies were identified across PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science (last searched in April 2025) and narratively synthesised. A total of 1173 participants were included, with sample sizes ranging from 4 to 190 participants per intervention. Interventions were well received and rated as highly acceptable, with strong engagement and minimal adverse effects. Across studies, statistically significant improvements were reported in dietary intake (7/13 studies), quality of life (4/5), mental health (5/6), self-efficacy (2/3), symptom management (3/4), self-reported cognitive health (1/1), food-related behaviours (2/2), selected anthropometric measures (4/8), and selected metabolic biomarkers (4/6). The evidence suggests that culinary nutrition interventions hold promise as supportive, behaviour-focused strategies aligned with oncology nutrition guidelines and responsive to patient needs. However, due to heterogeneity across interventions and outcomes, and variability in methodological quality as assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, quantification of effects was not possible, limiting interpretation of the evidence. Further high-quality studies using comparable outcome measures and longer-term follow-up are needed to quantify the magnitude of effects, assess their durability over time, and inform the integration of culinary nutrition programmes into cancer care. This systematic review is registered under the PROSPERO ID CRD42024567041 and was funded by the RCSI Research Summer School Fund.

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