2027 Breakout Session Schedule

Experiential Breakout A is held in the Grove Private Dining Room (1st floor)

Deliciousness can be described as the quality of being very appealing to the senses. The perception is that this is easier to achieve with meat than with plants, and that salt and/or sugar is a necessary ingredient to enhance flavor. However, there are a myriad of techniques to help boost flavor and develop deliciousness of plant forward menus without reliance on salt or added sugar to help support patients in sustaining healthful dietary habits to reduce hypertension, heart disease, and more. This CIA-chef led, interactive and lively session explores the components of deliciousness and identifies ways that you can help design recipes and support patients in maximizing flavor in the plant-forward kitchen.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

Celebrate whole grains in this hands-on kitchen session that includes a variety of recipes implementing versatile techniques from cooking pilaf-style quinoa to popping amaranth. Participants will prepare dishes such as farro salad with roasted squash, feta, and mint, spiced quinoa cakes with cilantro yogurt, and seasonal fonio salad. This session offers practical, flavorful ways to elevate whole grains on any plate. Most recipes in this session are vegetarian, some are vegan, and this session is not gluten-free.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

This hands-on kitchen session explores how to craft vibrant, satisfying salads that go far beyond a bowl of greens. Participants will learn the foundations of building a great salad—from the importance of texture to the role of acid, fat, and salt in balancing each bite. Guided tastings of oils and vinegars will sharpen palates, while recipes will highlight key techniques like creative vinaigrette bases—think beans, ferments, and vegetable purees—and roasting vegetables for enhanced flavor and texture. Participants will build beautifully composed salads that showcase global inspiration, seasonal produce, and the power of culinary technique to transform even the humblest vegetable into something craveable and nourishing. Most recipes in this session are vegetarian and could easily be made vegan.

Experiential Breakout A is held in the Grove Private Dining Room (1st floor)

Explore plant-forward cooking in this hands-on kitchen session where animal protein plays a supporting role. With techniques such as using roasted mushrooms and lentils for blended bases and stir-frying for fast, delicious plantforward plates, participants will build bold, satisfying dishes such as Koreanstyle bulgogi beef and mushroom tacos, tofu-almond patties with roasted tomato salsa, and ginger-scallion shrimp with snap peas. Discover how to stretch animal protein, boost flavor, and rethink the center of the plate. Many recipes in this session include meat in small quantities.

Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum & Conference Center (2nd floor)

This workshop will explore many healthy, vibrant food traditions on both the African and North American continents from African Diaspora in the Caribbean, South America, and southern states of the US to a variety of Indigenous American tribal territories. Through demonstrations and discussions, participants will gain rich insights and translatable skills.

Ecolab Theater (1st floor)

The description for this session will be coming soon.

Napa Valley Vintners Theater (1st floor)

Join the presenters from Plenary Session II in this facilitated roundtable discussion to dive deeper into critical issues confronting clinicians today relating to nutrition, health disparities, food insecurity, and food-is-medicine. Exchange questions and insights with these experts and fellow attendees about how to harness your power as a practitioner to deliver evidence-based food and nutrition guidance and related programming to your patients and communities.

Experiential Breakout A is held in the Grove Private Dining Room (1st floor)

Deliciousness can be described as the quality of being very appealing to th senses. The perception is that this is easier to achieve with meat than with plants, and that salt and/or sugar is a necessary ingredient to enhance flavor. However, there are a myriad of techniques to help boost flavor and develop deliciousness of plant-forward menus without reliance on salt or added sugar to help support patients in sustaining healthful dietary habits to reduce hypertension, heart disease, and more. This CIA-chef led, interactive and lively session explores the components of deliciousness and identifies ways that you can help design recipes and support patients in maximizing flavor in the plant-forward kitchen.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

Celebrate whole grains in this hands-on kitchen session that includes a variety of recipes implementing versatile techniques from cooking pilaf-style quinoa to popping amaranth. Participants will prepare dishes such as farro salad with roasted squash, feta, and mint, spiced quinoa cakes with cilantro yogurt, and seasonal fonio salad. This session offers practical, flavorful ways to elevate whole grains on any plate. Most recipes in this session are vegetarian, some are vegan, and this session is not gluten-free.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

This hands-on kitchen session explores how to craft vibrant, satisfying salads that go far beyond a bowl of greens. Participants will learn the foundations of building a great salad—from the importance of texture to the role of acid, fat, and salt in balancing each bite. Guided tastings of oils and vinegars will sharpen palates, while recipes will highlight key techniques like creative vinaigrette bases—think beans, ferments, and vegetable purees—and roasting vegetables for enhanced flavor and texture. Participants will build beautifully composed salads that showcase global inspiration, seasonal produce, and the power of culinary technique to transform even the humblest vegetable into something craveable and nourishing. Most recipes in this session are vegetarian and could easily be made vegan.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

Explore plant-forward cooking in this hands-on kitchen session where animal protein plays a supporting role. With techniques such as using roasted mushrooms and lentils for blended bases and stir-frying for fast, delicious plantforward plates, participants will build bold, satisfying dishes such as Koreanstyle bulgogi beef and mushroom tacos, tofu-almond patties with roasted tomato salsa, and ginger-scallion shrimp with snap peas. Discover how to stretch animal protein, boost flavor, and rethink the center of the plate. Many recipes in this session include meat in small quantities.

Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum & Conference Center (2nd floor)

This workshop will explore the ingredients, flavors, and culinary traditions of Mexico, recognizing its extraordinary regional diversity and the worldwide historic influences that have shaped its cuisine. We will focus on key messages and practical methods to support healthy eating for Mexican and Mexican-heritage populations in the U.S. by demystifying common stereotypes and highlighting the richness of traditional foodways. The session will also examine the health-promoting aspects of Mexican eating patterns— such as the foundational roles of maize/corn, legumes, fruits, vegetables, fresh and dried chiles, spices, and herbs—along with demonstrations of simple, nourishing recipes that can be easily replicated at home or in teaching kitchen settings.

Ecolab Theater (1st floor)

This workshop begins with a discussion of the powerful role food plays in our lives from first bite. Participants will explore how foundational food habits and preferences form early, yet continue to evolve across the lifespan, and how picky eating—whether in children, adults, or the elderly—can be normalized and addressed with compassion. We will look at the “improvisational dance” of supporting picky eaters, focusing on ways to expand the palate, reduce mealtime stress, and create a nourishing environment that encourages curiosity and joy. Drawing on a food and health equity lens, attendees will learn practical strategies for helping families gather, cook, and eat together, while also gaining tools for integrating culinary medicine into clinical practice to support adventurous eating across all ages.

Napa Valley Vintners Theater (1st floor)

The description for this session will be coming soon.

Experiential Breakout A is held in the Grove Private Dining Room (1st floor)

Deliciousness can be described as the quality of being very appealing to the senses. The perception is that this is easier to achieve with meat than with plants, and that salt and/or sugar is a necessary ingredient to enhance flavor. However, there are a myriad of techniques to help boost flavor and develop deliciousness of plant-forward menus without reliance on salt or added sugar to help support patients in sustaining healthful dietary habits to reduce hypertension, heart disease, and more. This CIA-chef led, interactive and lively session explores the components of deliciousness and identifies ways that you can help design recipes and support patients in maximizing flavor in the plant-forward kitchen.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

Celebrate whole grains in this hands-on kitchen session that includes a variety of recipes implementing versatile techniques from cooking pilaf-style quinoa to popping amaranth. Participants will prepare dishes such as farro salad with roasted squash, feta, and mint, spiced quinoa cakes with cilantro yogurt, and seasonal fonio salad. This session offers practical, flavorful ways to elevate whole grains on any plate. Most recipes in this session are vegetarian, some are vegan, and this session is not gluten-free.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

This hands-on kitchen session explores how to craft vibrant, satisfying salads that go far beyond a bowl of greens. Participants will learn the foundations of building a great salad—from the importance of texture to the role of acid, fat, and salt in balancing each bite. Guided tastings of oils and vinegars will sharpen palates, while recipes will highlight key techniques like creative vinaigrette bases—think beans, ferments, and vegetable purees—and roasting vegetables for enhanced flavor and texture. Participants will build beautifully composed salads that showcase global inspiration, seasonal produce, and the power of culinary technique to transform even the humblest vegetable into something craveable and nourishing. Most recipes in this session are vegetarian and could easily be made vegan.

Experiential Breakouts B, C, and D are held in the Hestan Kitchen (2nd floor)

Explore plant-forward cooking in this hands-on kitchen session where animal protein plays a supporting role. With techniques such as using roasted mushrooms and lentils for blended bases and stir-frying for fast, delicious plantforward plates, participants will build bold, satisfying dishes such as Koreanstyle bulgogi beef and mushroom tacos, tofu-almond patties with roasted tomato salsa, and ginger-scallion shrimp with snap peas. Discover how to stretch animal protein, boost flavor, and rethink the center of the plate. Many recipes in this session include meat in small quantities.

Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum & Conference Center (2nd floor)

Traditional foodways vary widely both within and between cultures, but what are their commonalities? This workshop begins with a broad-strokes overview of the traditional and contemporary Asian and Mediterranean dietary patterns, including the latest scientific evidence on the many health benefits associated with both eating styles. Participants will then enjoy culinary demonstrations and interactive discussions around Asian and Mediterranean ingredients, flavors, and dishes.

Ecolab Theater (1st floor)

The description for this session will be coming soon.

Napa Valley Vintners Theater (1st floor)

Participants in this interactive session will go deeper into the knowledge, skills, and tools for an integrative approach to healthy living. Attendees will begin by reflecting on their “whole health” through a step-by-step lifestyle assessment that can be used with future patients. They will then practice simple strength and mindfulness exercises they can integrate into daily life and clinical care. Together, we will examine how evidencebased medications, including GLP-1 therapies, achieve the best outcomes when paired with core lifestyle strategies. Through experiential learning and brief lifestyle case studies, we will discuss practical ways to move more, use mindfulness to reduce stress and improve well-being, and align treatment plans within an integrated care model.