Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of – and need for – an expanded understanding of cooking (skills and knowledge) to inform research on the connection between cooking and health. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes a concept of “food agency” and contrasts it with how cooking is commonly conceived in food and nutrition literature. A food agency-based pedagogy and proposals for using it are also introduced. Findings Cooking is a complex process that may be crucial for making a difference in the contemporary problems of diet-related chronic diseases. There are two interlinked problems with present research on cooking. First, cooking has yet to be adequately conceptualized for the design and evaluation of effective public health and nutrition interventions. The context within which food-related decisions and actions occur has been neglected. Instead, the major focus has been on discrete mechanical tasks. In particular, recipes are relied upon despite no clear evidence that recipes move people from knowledge to action. Second, given the incomplete theorization and definition of this vital everyday practice, intervention designs tend to rely on assumptions over theory. This creates certain forms of tautological reasoning when claims are made about how behavior changes. A comprehensive theory of food agency provides a nuanced understanding of daily food practices and clarifies how to teach cooking skills that are generalizable throughout varied life contexts. Originality/value This commentary is of value to academics studying cooking-related behavior and public health practitioners implementing and evaluating cooking interventions.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the cooking experiences of older adults living in the USA contributed to cooking skill development and cooking practices over their life course. Design/methodology/approach In total, 17 adults aged 60 and older living in two rural counties, who prepared at least three basic meals per week, were purposefully recruited to represent different living situations, perceived income level, and education level. Two retrospective in-depth interviews with each person collected biographical cooking narratives, analyzed using a life course perspective. Life course perspective concepts and emergent themes were identified. Timelines for each participant were prepared. Findings All participants expressed interest and pleasure in eating but they described different patterns of skills, behaviors, and feelings regarding cooking. Four cooking trajectories emerged: resilient, expanding, contracting interest, and contracting capability. Cooking skills evolved for some only during older adulthood, and supported both contracting and expanding food preparation. When cooking declined, it decreased due to shifts in personal priorities or in physical capability to carry out cooking tasks. Practical implications Recognizing the different patterns of cooking trajectories may help health care providers and the food industry better serve the diverse nutritional needs of older adults, including those not traditionally served: individuals who are actively seeking information as they increase their cooking and those who are avoiding cooking due to lack of interest. Originality/value Trajectories are a useful tool for analyzing skills and practices over time, which can facilitate understanding of food choice activities. Trajectories have not been previously used to explicitly examine cooking skills.

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine food preparation practices of US older adults by assessing their conceptualization of food preparation methods and their routine use of food preparation methods and kitchen equipment. Design/methodology/approach -In total, 17 community-dwelling older adults used cards with names of food preparation methods and cooking equipment items to do one open sort and three closed sorts about: food preparation method classifications; food preparation method use frequency; kitchen equipment use frequency; and essential vs non-essential kitchen equipment. Descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and qualitative thematic analysis were performed. Findings -Participants classified food preparation methods using multiple dimensions: ways to alter food, inputs, location, timing, and personal behavior. They used a wide range of food preparation methods and kitchen equipment items in routine cooking. The mean number of the 38 preparation methods sorted as used "often" was 16.5 ± 5.0. In total, 15 of the 17 participants reported using more than 20 of the 40 equipment items "often." The mean number of equipment items identified as "essential" was 21.5 ± 9.3. Practical implications -Food professionals should consider access to equipment and food preparation skills and preferences when designing products and working with consumers. Addressing gaps in human and material capital may support adoption of food preparation practices. Originality/value -Food preparation method and equipment use frequency has rarely been examined from the household cook's perspective. Using card sorts is a novel approach to examining consumer classification of an extensive list of preparation methods and kitchen equipment.