Why Cooking Education Is More Than Just Learning Recipes

Empowering Lives Through Food: The Purpose Behind Auntie’s Cookery Academy.

At Auntie’s Cookery Academy, we believe that food education is far more than just learning to cook, it’s about building independence, boosting confidence, and tackling deep-rooted challenges like food insecurity and nutritional illiteracy.

Cooking education provides people with the essential skills to live independently, make informed nutritional decisions, and manage limited resources effectively. According to Dale (2025), cooking programmes that focus on food literacy improve confidence, food selection abilities, and, all of which contribute to healthier, more empowered lives.

The impact of cooking education has been reinforced by national and international studies. For example, West et al. (2020) demonstrated that structured cookery interventions, such as OzHarvest’s NEST programme, helped participants build lasting cooking and planning habits that enhanced food security and health outcomes.

Auntie’s Cookery Academy is rooted in the Evaluation Tool for Food Literacy Programmes (Begley et al., 2018), which evaluates cooking education across three core domains: Plan and Manage, Selection, and Preparation.

By improving practical skills and instilling confidence in everyday food decisions, Auntie’s Cookery Academy helps participants achieve lasting behavioural change, not just short-term learning.