Certificate Programs

As the leader in health-supportive culinary education, we understand that students are interested in many aspects of the food system. Natural Gourmet Institute’s interactive and dynamic Certificate Programs are designed to give students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience and expertise in the areas of Food Therapy, Starting a Food Business, Sustainable Farming, Culinary Nutrition and Food Blogging. By working with accomplished chefs, industry experts and partners, the Certificate Programs allow students to further develop their knowledge and gain new perspectives on exciting and essential components of the better food movement.

Food Therapy

It is no secret that proper nourishment can be a powerful aid to the healing process. In the Food Therapy Certificate Program, students will learn about whole systems biology, core nutritional imbalances, and how to translate a dietary prescription into practical meal planning and preparation. Students will also gain an understanding of how specific diets and cooking techniques relate to different illnesses. Led by professionally trained health-supportive chefs, along with experts in whole foods nutrition, functional medicine and clinical nutrition and dietetics, the course will consist of lectures, case study discussions and kitchen lab sessions.

Coursework

• Exploring the differences between “illness” and “disease”
• Understanding the principles of culinary translation
• Common issues of chronic disease – genetics, environment and diet
• Working through the relationship between food and health
• Cooking concerns for people with cancer, immune disorders, diabetes, inflammation and other illnesses
• Menu planning for people with illnesses
• Developing culinary strategies that support well-being and healing

Instructors

Celine Beitchman began her culinary career in 1986 alongside Natural Gourmet Institute’s founder, Dr. Annemarie Colbin. After completing apprenticeships in Paris and NYC, Celine worked as a high-end caterer, food stylist, private chef and nutrition counselor. As a current NGI faculty member, Celine develops coursework, and teaches culinary technique, integrative nutrition science, and medicinal cooking in the professional Chef’s Training Program. Celine is a member of NYC Nutrition Educators Network and of the American Nutrition Association, and is currently working toward her Masters in Nutrition & Health Behavior Education at the Maryland University of Integrative Health.

Elliott Prag is the Curriculum Development Manager and full-time instructor at Natural Gourmet Institute. A graduate of our Chef’s Training Program, Elliott has been a private and personal chef, restaurant chef, and a caterer. He also opened the first health-supportive, farm-to-table restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has been a frequent contributor to Vegetarian Times and is an expert in bread baking.

Request Info

To register for Food Therapy click enroll and submit the deposit payment. Once your deposit is processed you will receive an email confirmation and link to complete the balance of tuition payment form. Follow the instructions in the form to complete your registration.

Refund policy: Deposit is nonrefundable 3 weeks prior to your start date. Students completing less than 50% of the coursework will receive a refund based on the number of course hours held by the school up to notification of withdrawal. Students completing more than 50% of the program are not eligible for a refund. In the event of a program cancelation by Natural Gourmet Institute, all money will be refunded to the student.

Students will receive a certificate of completion.

Starting a Food Business: How to Plan, Execute and Market Your Idea

Ready to transform your passion for food into an exciting new business or career? This fall, learn the recipe for success from some of New York’s best food and business entrepreneurs under the guidance of industry experts. Led by experienced food start-up founder and advisor Jennifer Goggin, students will learn what it takes to start a successful food business from established food entrepreneurs. Past guest speakers have included Alison Gilbert, Project AG; Lynn Yoder Thibault, Amazon Fresh; and Christine Rico, Speed Dial.

Throughout this 4 session evening course, you will learn the fundamentals of what to expect when launching a food business.

In addition to gaining real world experience, receiving expert advice, and hearing war stories from seasoned food entrepreneurs, you will also:

• Gain an understanding of key business concepts and organizational structures
• Learn techniques to strengthen your business concept
• Basic finance skills: determining feasibility and reading financials
• Sales and Marketing: Best practices to tell your story
• Defining your mission: Driving impact, instilling mission, vision, values, and selecting partners

Instructor

Jennifer Goggin (Founder of Pippin Foods and Co-Founder of Farmers Web) has been an entrepreneur and advisor in the food-tech space since 2011 when she co-founded FarmersWeb to help farms, food hubs and food artisans streamline wholesale orders, deliveries and payments online. Prior to FarmersWeb, Jennifer was Director of Operations at Basis Farm to Chef, a local food distributor in New York. She has been a featured panelist and moderator for conferences on entrepreneurship and the food technology industry, as well as a guest columnist for Food+Tech Connect and Huffington Post Food. Jennifer is a board member of Slow Food NYC where she works on its Snail of Approval committee to recognize restaurants, bars, and markets that contribute to the quality, authenticity and sustainability of the New York City food supply.

Request Info

To register for Starting a Food Business click enroll and submit the deposit payment. Once your deposit is processed you will receive an email confirmation and link to complete the balance of tuition payment form. Follow the instructions in the form to complete your registration.

Tuition and deposit are nonrefundable 3 weeks prior to your start date. Students joining the program late, leaving the program early, or not participating in all activities will not be eligible for discounts or partial refunds. In the event of a program cancelation by Natural Gourmet Institute, all money will be refunded to the student.

Sustainable Farming Program

Join Farm to Table expert, Chef Jay Weinstein, for a unique and hands-on experience in Natural Gourmet Institute’s Sustainable Farming program.

This program is held entirely in the field on partner farms including Brooklyn Grange, McEnroe Organic Farm, GrowNYC, Greenmarket Co., and others. Students will work side-by-side with seasoned farmers to learn first-hand about topics like soil health, organic farming techniques, sustainable animal husbandry and so much more! This program is ideal for anyone interested in creating bountiful edible gardens, learning more about our local food system and how to source food in sustainable and responsible ways.

Upon completing this program, students will achieve a thorough understanding of organic farming, composting, the “locavore” movement, and the relationship between cooks and local farmers.

To register for Sustainable Farming click enroll and submit the deposit payment. Once your deposit is processed you will receive an email confirmation and link to complete the balance of tuition payment form. Follow the instructions in the form to complete your registration.

Refund policy: Tuition and deposit are nonrefundable 3 weeks prior to your start date. Students joining the program late, leaving the program early, or not participating in all activities will not be eligible for discounts or partial refunds. In the event of a program cancelation by Natural Gourmet Institute, all money will be refunded to the student.

Students will receive a certificate of completion.

Culinary Nutrition Certificate Program – New York City

The Culinary Nutrition Certificate Program with Natural Gourmet Institute provides students with an in-depth and hands-on understanding of nutrition theory. The program explores the science of nutrition, nutrition in the marketplace, trends, and specialized diets through lecture and kitchen labs. Led by Kayleen St. John, MS RD, and Laura Rosenberg MS RD, students will learn from expert guest speakers from the food, health, and nutrition fields! Upon completion of the course, students will have learned how to incorporate the fundamentals of nutrition into their culinary perspective.

Coursework

• Fundamentals in Nutrition
• Food-based micronutrients and macronutrients
• Optimizing nutrients through food
• Nutrient retention
• Food synergies
• Nutrient analysis of menus
• Nutrition in the marketplace
• Specialized Diets
• Life cycle nutrition
• Vegetarian and vegan nutrition
• Diabetes and metabolic syndrome
• Food allergies and intolerances
• Gluten sensitivity/intolerance
• Trends in Nutrition
• Alternative diets
• Weight management
• Inflammation
• Econutrition

To register for Culinary Nutrition click enroll and submit the deposit payment. Once your deposit is processed, you will receive an email confirmation and link to download payment plan selection form. To confirm your seat in the class and complete registration, fill out the form and return to certificate@nginyc.com.

Refund and Cancellation Policy: Deposit is nonrefundable 3 weeks prior to your start date. Students completing less than 50% of the coursework will receive a refund based on the number of course hours held by the school up to notification of withdrawal. Students completing more than 50% of the program are not eligible for a refund. In the event of a program cancelation by Natural Gourmet Institute, all money will be refunded to the student.

Students will receive a certificate of completion.

Food Blogging Certificate Program – Creating, Managing and Growing a Professional Food Blog

Ever wonder how your favorite food blog went from passion project to profession? Maybe you have been looking for a way to do just that with your blog, or maybe you are just getting started and want expert guidance on creating a professional food blog?

Join Phoebe Lapine (creator of Feed Me Phoebe, author of In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes from Our Year of Cooking in the Real World) to learn how she turned her passion for healthy beautiful food into a successful career. In this lecture-based course, you will learn the fundamentals of creating a successful food blog, from creating content to building an audience to generating income. This course is ideal for anyone with an interest in food blogging – currently managing or thinking about starting a food blog.

You will gain practical skills and knowledge and, most importantly, gain new tools grow your audience and generate revenue. Over 5 sessions, Phoebe will expertly guide the class through the below topics:

• Getting Started – Finding your voice and perspective
• Choosing a name and look
• Design and development tips and tricks
• Plugins and widgets: getting the most out of your site
• Cost overhead: the most important aspects to invest in your blog
• Content is King – Managing content for impact and engagement
• Developing your voice
• The importance of an editorial calendar
• Recipe development; how to adapt and accredit
• Best practices to build an engaged audience
• Food Photography – A picture is worth a 1,000 words, what are your photos saying?
• How to light, compose and edit your best food photos
• Community and Growing Your Site – Technical advice and community building tips
• Using Google Analytics, SEO, social media and more to promote your site and grow your audience
• Reciprocity and building a community
• Methods to build an offline community
• Getting your name out: guest posting and freelancing
• Hobby to Career – Professional tools to start earning money from your blog
• Advertising, sponsored posts, brand collaborations and more
• Getting a cookbook deal
• Bridge jobs and other ways to support your career

To register for Food Blogging Certificate Program click enroll and submit the deposit payment. Once your deposit is received your place on the roster will be held for 1 week. You will receive an email confirmation and link to download payment plan selection form. To confirm your place in the class and complete registration, fill out the form and return to certificate@nginyc.com.

Refund policy: Students completing less than 50% of the coursework will receive a refund based on the number of course hours completed less the deposit, which is nonrefundable 2 weeks prior to your start date. Students completing more than 50% of the program are not eligible for a refund.

Students will receive a certificate of completion.