Get comprehensive and convenient online training in health-supportive culinary skills and techniques with ICE's online Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations diploma program.
Gain foundational, professional training in the techniques and art of health-supportive cooking — from the convenience of your own kitchen. This 900-hour intensive curriculum is thoughtfully designed with aspiring culinary professionals in mind, even if all you've ever taken are a few cooking classes. The program explores theory, science, technique, sustainability, palate development and culinary business fundamentals vital to professional success. A hands-on industry externship gives you the opportunity to enhance your skills and gain real-world cooking and baking experience.
There’s no need to put your life on hold to pursue your culinary passion!
If you’re unable to access an ICE campus in New York or Los Angeles, relocate or schedule consistent classes, you can still earn an ICE diploma in health-centered culinary arts. Students in a growing number of states can now enroll in our online program featuring a customized curriculum and experienced Chef-Instructors.
*The externship portion of this program must be completed in person.
Program Name: Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations
Program Duration: 16 months
Weekly Virtual Classes: participate live or view on-demand
The online Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations diploma program (formerly Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations) has been expertly designed by our team of chefs and educators from ICE's New York and Los Angeles campuses. This unique program gives students of all ages who are unable to attend on-campus classes the skills and experience needed for a variety of roles at restaurants, hotels and other food service settings.
Our online approach to health-centered culinary school provides essential training in foundational principles of culinary arts — the theory, science and techniques that form the basis for major cuisines. In addition, students will study the fundamentals of pastry and baking, as well as food service operations and management. A typical week includes cooking a variety of dishes and cuisines, assigned readings, instructional videos, individual or group projects, and chef-led classes, which you can view live or on-demand.
Our carefully designed labs give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in readings, videos and chef-led classes. You’ll be using health-supportive recipes designed to develop your palate and reinforce the techniques that are the core of cuisine. Some of the things we’ll teach are how to:
The online health-centered curriculum is structured so culinary school students get assessed on their learning path several times a week. Chef-Instructors provide individual feedback on student's photos, videos and text submissions to support continual progress toward learning objectives and refinement of skills and techniques.
Our career services team will help match you with a restaurant or food-related business that aligns with your professional goals in order for you to gain real-world experience. You'll put your culinary skills to the test, make connections in the industry and gain business knowledge you can use to launch your culinary career.
Past guest speakers have included (clockwise from top left): David Chang, chef, restaurateur, TV host and author; Christina Tosi, Milkbar founder and chef; Thomas Keller, chef and restaurateur, The French Laundry and Per Se, and ICE alumna Mashama Bailey, James Beard Award winner and executive chef of The Grey.
Experts from all over the nation visit ICE's campuses in New York City and Los Angeles (in person and virtually) to lead professional development classes, demonstrations, lectures and events — most of which are available to students and alumni for no additional charge. Online students can take advantage of these exclusive opportunities when they are available, to watch, interact with and ask questions of successful epicureans from various areas of the industry.
Upon successful completion of the program, you’ll receive a diploma in Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations with the option to join our commencement ceremony in Los Angeles. You’ll also benefit from the ongoing support of our Career Services department, which has helped more than 19,000 graduates secure jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
ICE is approved to offer online distance education to students in select states. The online Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations program is taught asynchronously, which means you are not required to login to a virtual course at a specified time.
Tuition includes all books and supplies, including a laptop, so you're fully equipped from day one. All online Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations program students are also eligible to take our popular Wine Essentials series on campus at no additional charge. Visit our Tuition and Discounts page for complete information on the cost for specific class dates.
The admissions process is the start of a lasting relationship with ICE. Your Admissions Representative will introduce you to the personal experience the culinary arts school is known for. Their mission is to understand your career goals and help you select the right program(s) to fit your needs and your interests.
Why Choose Us?
You know it's in you — the ambition to pursue a rewarding career in food. ICE is ready to help you find your culinary voice and achieve your culinary career dreams.
Learn about Career Services
Attending a well-established school like ICE has many benefits, including the vast professional network available to students from day one. With campus recruitment from top hospitality brands, regular ‘hot job’ emails, and ongoing support long after graduation, your Career Services team is here to help.
Resources:
Ready to take your interest in ICE further? Speak to an Admissions Representative about your personal goals, start your application or download our career brochure so you can access our program information anytime.
ICE’s Online Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations program contains 16 courses, offering students comprehensive training in the art and actual practice of health-supportive cooking. The 63-week program is designed so students can attend classes on their own schedule each week. Expert chef-instructors from ICE’s Los Angeles and New York City campuses introduce students to the time-tested fundamentals of cooking, cuisines from around the globe and techniques from modern masters.
Many culinary professionals work hand-in-hand with business leaders or run their own businesses outright. To enhance students' education, the Online Health-Centered Culinary Arts & Food Operations includes multiple business and operations courses. These important sessions will introduce you to skills and topics such as marketing, purchasing and staff management. Operations courses are taken concurrently with culinary courses.
The final course in the program is an off-site externship at a location chosen by the student based on their career goals. ICE's Career Services advisors consider the student's career aspirations, skills, schedule and academic record to ensure the most beneficial externship placement.
The program is constructed as follows:
This course is designed to familiarize students with best practices for success in our online programs and in the restaurant industry. Topics include learning management system use, internet research, time management and expectations within the food service industry.
Focusing on fundamental culinary techniques and criteria for selecting quality ingredients, this course offers an introduction to the foundation for preparing health-supportive, whole-foods cuisine. We will also teach stock, soup and sauce preparations. Course highlights:
In this course, we continue your education on plant-forward cuisine to include a variety of whole foods and share innovative ways to work with vegetables. This course puts plants at the center of the plate and makes them the star of the show. Course highlights:
In this course we teach how protein sources come in a variety of forms – both plant-based and animal-sourced. Students prepare plant-based dairy alternatives, make fresh seitan, and apply basic culinary techniques to a range of vegetable groups including roots, shoots, pods, and bulbs. Students also explore the health benefits of high protein foods and create protein-rich meals. Course highlights:
In this course, you will apply your growing command of health-centered techniques to new protein sources, receiving instruction in the preparation of soy foods and eggs. Students will also work with chicken, fish, shellfish, and store-bought protein alternatives. Course highlights:
Baking and desserts can benefit from incorporating more natural, unprocessed and whole ingredients. In this course, students prepare foods that meet special dietary needs, such as vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. We explore the science of baking; convert conventional baking recipes to alternatives (without sacrificing taste or texture); and focus on yeasted breads, quick breads, pizza and focaccia. Course highlights:
Cooking in restaurants involves learning everything from the preparation of breakfasts, sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres, to cooking for special diets, allergies and restrictions. In this course, we teach adaptive culinary skills that aid in servicing customers with unique food requirements.
This course explores food and specialty dishes from Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, noting that cuisine within and across geographies varies among cultures, cities and even households. We encourage exploring international cuisine with cultural competence and humility. Course highlights:
The link between diet, lifestyle and wellness is well-established, and this course will provide perspectives on this relationship by looking at cardiovascular system health, the microbiome and detoxification systems. On the culinary side, today’s kitchens rely on innovative ideas and modern techniques to produce their signature dishes. In this course, you’ll study the methods, and flavors that master chefs are using to take food to the next level, and create enjoyable dining experiences. Course highlights:
This course acquaints students with the realities of a culinary business concept — from creativity to profitability. By surveying the industry, students research and assess various operational models, analyzing concepts, feasibility, and location selection. Students gain the knowledge required to develop and refine their ideas. This course also gives a comprehensive view of key aspects of the menu, including planning, pricing, layout, and design. Students prepare sample menus as a project.
A working understanding of numbers is critical to culinary success. This course focuses on the use of financial statements as a decision-making tool. Topics include balance sheets, statements of net income, break-even analysis, cash flow, and financing. Budgets, industry standards and variation analyses are emphasized. Case studies are used to provide real experience.
In this introduction to the study of human nutritional needs, students examine current dietary guidelines, dietary preferences and the function of nutrients. Students will study menus and recipes to identify opportunities for modifications and optimizations of nutritional content, and they will consider how to balance trends in nutritional study with culinary and baking techniques. The course highlights the relationship between diet, health, disease and how applied nutrition can benefit both healthy and immune challenged populations.
Strategies for purchasing and control are vital for the success of any culinary operation. This course examines labor, beverage and food costs, and revenue control. Purchasing guidelines, inventory and control, employee-performance standards, productivity and scheduling, use of point-of-sale systems, computers, and new technology are also reviewed.
Effective communication is essential for success in all areas of food service, from management to menus. This course uses media, including reviews, blogs, Instagram reels, videos and press releases, for students to explore the relationship between restaurants, communications and public relations.
Great leadership goes beyond good management and permeates a culture. This course explores ethics, leadership variables, clarity of vision, multiplying effectiveness, and employee empowerment and performance management. Additionally, students will identify their own leadership styles and consider how best to apply them to organizational improvement and team building initiatives.
This is the last course in the program. Here, students have an opportunity to hone the skills they developed in a real-world setting. While ICE strongly recommends restaurant-based externships, students may request venues such as hotels, catering companies, corporate dining rooms or test kitchens in accordance with their professional goals.
"This program showed me how to positively impact the health of those I care about through healthy food."
— Kristi Fleischman
Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations* Graduate
Class of 2025
"I wasn’t sure what to make of an online cooking school. How was the chef going to be able to grade my labs? My instructor was firm on the things that were important, but flexible knowing I am just a student."
— Jennifer Fessler
Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts & Food Operations* Graduate
Class of 2025
