applied sciences  
The Impact of a Virtual Educational Cooking Class on the Inflammatory Potential of Diet in Cancer Survivors  
[PERSON],*2, [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON]. [PERSON]  
Medical Nutrition Program, Department of Medical Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA  
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA  
Division of Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA  
Internal Medicine Division of Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolism, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA  
Division of Hematology/Oncolg, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA  
Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA  
Department of Clinical Nutrition, Nebraska Medicine, Omaha, NE 68198, USA  
Correspondence: [EMAIL_ADDRESS]  
Footnote 1: [[https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci](https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci)]([https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci](https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci))  
Footnote 2: [[https://www.mdpi.com/journals/pdf/10](https://www.mdpi.com/journals/pdf/10)]([https://www.mdpi.com/journals/pdf/10](https://www.mdpi.com/journals/pdf/10))  
of cancer survivors face long-term effects from cancer treatments, with deficits including decreased strength and mobility, increased fatigue, and chronic pain [2; 3; 4]. An important, yet understudied, consequence of cancer treatment is cognitive dysfunction. While up to 75% of cancer survivors report both immediate and long-term cognitive deficits and cite these sequelae as distressing [5; 6; 7; 8], no gold-standard treatment exists to mitigate these effects [9; 10]. This knowledge gap has greatly limited our ability to provide counseling for the protection of long-term health in cancer survivors, causing an urgent need to identify potential mechanisms and related modifiable risk factors. Suggested mechanisms for cognitive decline in cancer survivors include oxidative damage and dysregulation of inflammation, with dietary factors as a key contributor to an inflammatory environment [11; 12]. Cancer survivors are vulnerable to nutrient-poor diets, with cancer treatments commonly resulting in high rates of anorexia, dysguesia, and dysphagia, leading to malnutrition [2; 3; 4]. These side effects may predispose patients to choose foods that accommodate their symptoms or can be easily prepared, with the focus shifting often to adequate calories and protein; these foods may be less nutrient-dense [13; 14]. Shifts to poorer diet quality in response to treatment have been associated with reduced treatment tolerance, and lower survival rates [15; 16; 17; 18]. This presents an opportunity for post-treatment cancer survivors to optimize food choices to reduce the inflammatory potential of their diets. Nutrient-rich, plant-based diets have been studied for their role in attenuating inflammation. Diets high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats have been shown to be pro-inflammatory, while diets focusing on whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables reduce inflammatory markers and modify growth factors involved in cancer pathogenesis [19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24]. A key feature of anti-inflammatory diets is how the foods are rich in fiber, which has additionally been associated with decreasing inflammation and lowering the risk of developing several types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more [25; 26]. Evidence such as this led the American Institute for Cancer Research (AACR) to recommend consuming 30 g of fiber per day for cancer prevention [27].