Our Programs

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Culinary Medicine

The Culinary Medicine Program uses food as a tool to help health care providers explore the implications on overall health, enhance the quality of patient counseling and tackle obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 
 
By linking food and health and changing the dialogue between healthcare professionals and their patients about food and health, Bite of HOPE believes that chronic disease and obesity can greatly be reduced in Houston. The culinary medicine curriculum for providers is specifically tailored for low-income and food-insecure patients.
 

Program Series and partnerships

Cook with a Doctor Series
  • We cook meals along side doctors while we discuss health and nutrition topics
 
Partnership with Health Institutions
  • Bite of HOPE also worked with the UT School of Public Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and Sustainable Culturally Adapted Nutritious Diet Program (SCAN) implementing the food RX program.
  • Bite of HOPE partnered with MD Anderson cancer center to evaluate the impact of Bite of HOPE in the Small Business program, results are still pending.
Culinary Medicine
Chris Community Outreach

Community Outreach

High School Leadership Program

 

The Bite of HOPE Leadership Program helps high school students further the knowledge on food and nutrition and community-driven solutions that are successful in reducing the prevalence of health issues.

 

During a four-week virtual program, and under the leadership of the Bite of HOPE chef, participants grow their passion for healthy eating. Participants are part of virtual workshops led by medical providers, dietitians, restaurant owners, marketing experts, and other professionals

Virtual After School Program

The Bite of HOPE Virtual After School Program helps students and families embrace the importance of healthy cooking. Bite of HOPE believes that by empowering participants to develop lifelong healthy eating habits, chronic illnesses can be prevented.  

Through workshops, led by the Bite of HOPE chef, students learn everything about the food system, the farm-to-table movement, and the importance of making healthy food choices, all while learning how to prepare easy, healthy dishes.

Small Food Business Program

The Bite of HOPE Small Food Business Program is a month-long fast paced program specifically tailored for small food businesses. By having small businesses embrace their role in health, the program strives to change the food culture and improve the diet quality in the community.

Partnership with Baker Rippley

In partnership with BakerRipley’s Small Business Program, industry experts and mentors, this innovative program provides participants with the tools they need to start or grow a food business.  Through one-on-one meetings with industry experts, the program provided participants the support they need to successfully complete or review an existing business plan, implement marketing strategies to effectively engage audiences, and conduct product viability assessment.

Participants meet with Bite of HOPE chef to review recipes, menus, and sourcing options, and learn about the business opportunities around embracing their role in health and in keeping the community healthy.

Chris Culinary Institute

Culinary Institute

The Bite of HOPE Culinary Institute is a fast-paced culinary program whose goal is to empower restaurant cooks, aspiring restaurant owners, and the general public with valuable culinary techniques, food service management, and the concept behind the power food has in health. 
 
This unique culinary program, that centers on food and health, provides participants with the tools they need to become successful culinary specialists. By building the core skills used in the kitchen – from culinary techniques, market sourcing, to the use of kitchen equipment, participants are ready to seamlessly start a culinary career or food entrepreneurship journey and succeed, while helping increase healthy food access in communities. 
 
 

 Foodscape Study Program

 

 

Bite of HOPE facilitated a Foodscape Study in the Alief– Asiatown area, in partnership with Cities Changing Diabetes and Gehl, an urban design firm based in Copenhagen. 

The objective was to use the data collected to develop programs designed to improve healthy food access, decrease social isolation and promote active-living.

As a result of this study, Bite of HOPE is taking the lead on the implementation of a pilot project which includes working with local businesses to create more outdoor dining spaces in the area, providing healthy eating education to students and bringing a mobile fresh produce market to schools creating healthier food outlets.