When we think of food, we think of nutrition, but researchers and physicians have come to understand that it’s more than that – it’s medicine.

A new evidence-based field in healthcare is called culinary medicine, and it blends the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine. It enables healthcare providers to help their patients make better choices about eating high-quality foods that can prevent and treat disease and restore well-being. This is increasingly important, as medical conditions related to poor lifestyle choices account for 80% or more of all healthcare spending in the U.S. today.

If you think culinary medicine is a woo-woo specialty from California, a.k.a., the “land of fruits and nuts” – think again. The CHEF Coaching program, designed to help healthcare professionals pair easy culinary instructions with lifestyle recommendations for patients, was started at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Harvard University in 2014. Today, at least 10 US medical schools teach culinary medicine including Tulane University, UCLA and the University of Michigan.

In the spirit of “take two recipes and call me in the morning,” try these free, healthy recipes prepared by one of the foremost experts in culinary medicine, Dr. John LaPuma. He is a professionally trained chef, organic farmer, and medical doctor.