Cook for Your Life Celebrates 6 Years with Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Empowering People Affected by Cancer Through Food as Medicine

In 2019, Cook for Your Life joined forces with Fred Hutch Cancer Center with a clear mission: to make evidence-based nutrition information accessible to anyone facing cancer and to open doors for new research. Six years later, the website has reached more than 20 million people. We’re proud to reflect on our impact and inspired by what’s still to come.

“Eating with cancer prevention or survival in mind can be complicated by the abundance of inaccurate, misleading and sometimes dangerous information available online and in print. Another burden is that even when recipes are grounded in science, they may require too much time, too much energy, or too many ingredients — including some that may be unfamiliar, expensive or hard to find. Fortunately, there’s a remedy — and it’s local. […] the newly revamped Cook for Your Life website (cookforyourlife.org), which pairs science-based nutrition information with recipes that are achievable, not aspirational.”

— Carrie Dennett, The Seattle Times

A Powerful Partnership Rooted in Care

From the start, Cook for Your Life’s content aligned with Fred Hutch’s mission to unite innovative research and compassionate care to prevent and eliminate cancer and infectious disease. Nutrition is a vital part of cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship. Our work is developed with guidance from our Clinical Oncology Nutrition Advisors—registered dietitians who are board-certified specialists in oncology nutrition at Fred Hutch. Our Medical and Scientific Advisors help ensure everything we publish is grounded in the latest evidence and best practices in cancer care.

Whether you’re in treatment, in remission, or caring for someone with cancer, knowing what to eat can feel overwhelming. And while our institution is based in Seattle, Cook for Your Life has made it easier for people around the world to find comfort, clarity, and community through food.

A Recipe for Results

Here are just a few highlights from the past few years:

Our Global Reach

In 2024, website users viewed over 7 million pages across our English and Spanish websites, nearly doubling 2023’s 4 million page views
Attracted visitors from more than 187 countries
Expanded bilingual content, including recipes, blog posts, and videos in Spanish and English

Trusted, Practical Content

Organized, updated and curated over 1,100 recipes tailored for people in and after cancer treatment
Wrote and updated over 150 blog posts focused on nutrition education, such as the benefits of consuming healthy fats, when and how to eat a high fiber diet, and summer food safety tips
Developed video tutorials, cooking classes, and downloadable guides for a variety of dietary needs

Survivors & Caregivers at the Center of Our Work

Hosted live cooking demos and Q&As for cancer communities
Partnered with organizations serving BIPOC, tribal, and low-income communities
Collected powerful testimonials from people who’ve cooked their way through treatment with us by their side

Making a Direct Impact on Lives

“I use this website multiple times a day, ever since my mother came home from surgery and now as we begin her chemo regimen. I truly believe your nutritious and delicious recipes helped to make my mom feel better as she was recovering from surgery and gave her the nutrients she needed to speed the process along. I am no cook at all but thanks to you folks, I am learning at a fast pace how to make sure my mother gets the proper nutrition.”

— Kasey, Caregiver

These stories are the heart of our work. They remind us that a simple soup, meal-prepping tips, or a pot of healing broth can offer more than nutrition—they offer comfort, too.

Additionally, our website has been featured in national and local news outlets, including being featured on Seattle’s KOMO news last year, reporter Kelly Koopmans said,

“For those going through cancer treatment, it can be hard to not only find something that makes the body feel good, but tastes good, too. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is out to change that by bringing research-backed nutrition and recipes to anyone for free, no matter where they are on their health journey.”

— Kelly Koopmans, KOMO4 News

Research That Drives Change

Led by Dr. Heather Greenlee, scientists at Fred Hutch use the Cook for Your Life platform to deliver nutrition, culinary, and lifestyle interventions. Our research helps people and communities prevent cancer and live well after treatment through education, digital health tools, and integrative therapies. We strive to understand what cancer survivors can do, in addition to conventional care, to improve cancer outcomes.

Committed to health equity, we create evidence-based solutions that prioritize diverse and historically underrepresented communities.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next?

We’re not slowing down. In the coming months, we’re expanding our resources through:

Adding more global cuisine recipes and resources
Creating nutrition tools designed for clinicians and caregivers
Tapping experts across the Fred Hutch network to share their knowledge with you
Executing more research studies

Thank You for Being Part of This Journey

To our community, our team, and our partners—your interest in our work and your support fuels our mission every day.

If You Are Just Joining This Journey, Hello!

Just found us? Welcome! We’re ready to help.

Here are a few places to start:

As we continue to grow, our commitment remains the same: to make food as medicine accessible to anyone affected by cancer. With trusted recipes, science-backed guidance, and a caring community, we’re here to help people nourish themselves every step of the way.