Despite the central role of nutrition in chronic disease management and overall health and well-being, most clinicians receive minimal training in nutrition science or culinary application throughout their medical training. This lack of foundational nutrition education contributes directly to clinicians’ limited ability to apply therapeutic dietary principles in both patient care and personal wellness, creating a disconnect between clinical recommendations and real-world practice. Clinicians sometimes struggle to counsel patients effectively on dietary adherence or to integrate adequate nutrition into their own routines – which can lead to increased burnout, reduced empathy, and poorer outcomes. Clinicians need evidence-based strategies to integrate therapeutic nutrition into both their personal wellness and patient care to support their own health, reduce burnout, and improve clinical outcomes. 

The Chopped Physician Nutrition and Wellness Challenge will offer experiential learning to promote clinician well-being, team cohesion, and patient-centered care. This culinary competition format, offers a dynamic, hands-on learning experience that fosters skill-building tailored to therapeutic diets with strategies for integrating wellness, meal planning, and mindful eating. Clinicians will gain real-world practice with dietary restrictions to improve empathy and counseling effectiveness while also enhancing nutrition literacy to support both self-care and patient education. This friendly competition will also promote communication and team building to reduce burnout and reignite connections with colleagues.