UK HealthCare offers patients cooking videos tailored to chronic conditions. also available on YouTube

By Hillary Smith
University of Kentucky

British healthcare is revolutionizing patient education by bringing a series of cooking videos directly to hospital patient rooms aimed at supporting patients with chronic nutrition-sensitive conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

The videos featured on the hospital's Get Well Network are also available on the Food As Health Alliance YouTube channel, making them accessible to everyone.

The videos provide easy-to-follow, medically tailored recipes and affordable solutions to help patients take control of their diet and improve their health outcomes.

Lindsay Turner, a HealthCare UK dietitian, emphasized the importance of making these resources available to patients.

“A common argument I hear from patients is, 'I just don't know where to start,'” she said. “There is often a disconnect between education about heart-healthy eating and the actual composition of a meal. These videos offer affordable recipes and I’m excited to see the impact they will have.”

The video series is the result of a collaboration between UK HealthCare and the Food As Health Alliance based in British Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and the Environmentand Kentucky's Pork and Beef Councils. The videos are short and engaging and imitate the popular videos BuzzFeed “Tasty” videos with overhead shots, simple voiceovers, and straightforward instructions.

“We wanted to do something that was a little more digestible,” said Lauren Batey, Alliance program coordinator and registered dietitian. “We assumed that patients in the hospital would not sit through a 30-minute cooking show. That’s why we designed the videos in a format that is quick and easy to understand while being informative and practical.”

Batey was tasked with the challenge of creating cooking videos for UK HealthCare patients to address common chronic conditions in Kentucky.

“I treat it like a game of 'Whack-a-Mole,'” she joked. “I put all these restrictions on myself – convenience, affordability, nutrition and access. I want people to be able to make these recipes even in rural areas, so I make sure the ingredients are available in local grocery stores.”

The series is extensive and already includes 16 videos, including a mix of content for different target groups. While many focus on Kentucky's “big four” diseases – diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease – there are also videos on child health and cancer nutrition.

The project was made possible through collaboration in several areas University of Kentucky Campus. Batey explained that with the help of UK HealthCare's Healthy Kentucky Initiative, she connected with health care providers such as Dr. Larry Goldstein, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the UK College of Medicine.

“Our goal is to provide stroke patients with the knowledge they need to make informed nutritional decisions that can positively impact their recovery and long-term health when they leave our hospital.” I wanted to work with nutritionists on this project, because they bring an essential perspective to stroke recovery,” said Goldstein. “Their expertise allows us to tailor nutritional advice to the specific needs of stroke patients, helping to reduce the risk of future strokes and improve overall wellbeing. By working together, we can provide a more holistic approach to care and ensure patients receive the support they need for a healthier recovery.”

This collaborative approach has also enabled the expansion of the video library and diversified the content.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Markey Cancer Center again now that it’s up and running,” Batey said. “The potential to create videos specifically tailored to cancer patients will be incredibly valuable.”

Although the video series is still in its early stages, Turner shared some of the positive feedback she has already received from patients.

“One patient told me she didn't know food could taste so good without added salt,” she said. “Another patient was just so excited to find low-cost options because he is having trouble with food supply at home.”

The plan is to further expand the video series. As the program continues to grow, the hope is that these videos will not only improve individual health outcomes, but also address larger issues such as food insecurity in Kentucky.

“We call it 'Food As Health' because we want to encompass the entire concept,” Batey explained. “We recognize the role that nutrition plays in health, but we also address the challenges of food access and affordability. We want this program to be part of a larger solution for our patients and community.”

Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.