On January 16 and April 18, NOVA Medical School will launch a new series of workshops on nutrition education with the initiative “Culinary Medicine for Young People with Type 1 Diabetes.”
The project aims to train young people between the ages of 14 and 18 in practical food preparation skills, promoting greater confidence and autonomy in managing food in the context of type 1 diabetes.
Entirely practical and held at NOVA Medical School's Kitchen Lab, the workshops take place in a kitchen environment and combine clinical and nutritional knowledge with culinary skills.
The approach is personalized, tailored to the needs of each participant, reinforcing the importance of nutritional care in managing the disease and providing families with concrete tools for preparing balanced meals.
Coordinated by Professors Catarina Limbert and Marta Silvestre, this initiative is part of a joint scientific project between NOVA Medical School and the São José Local Health Unit, which aims to assess the nutritional impact of these practices on the metabolic control of young people.
O programa envolverá 20 participantes referenciados pelo Serviço de Endocrinologia Pediátrica do Hospital D. Estefânia e terá início em janeiro de 2026.
“We believe that empowering patients and their families is inseparable from a true health promotion policy. By transforming scientific evidence into accessible practices, we strengthen the autonomy of young people with type 1 diabetes and contribute to a more inclusive and efficient health response.”, underlines Catarina Limbert, professor at NOVA Medical School and project coordinator.
Culinary Medicine for Young People with Type 1 Diabetes confirms NOVA Medical School's approach that “food literacy is health prevention, but also empowerment for disease management,” reinforcing the School's commitment to democratizing scientific knowledge and bringing science closer to everyday practice.
By providing practical and participatory learning, the project offers young people and families concrete tools to make informed decisions, reduce uncertainties in disease control, and manage their diet in a safe, balanced, and independent manner.