[Taylor Simon]

I am curious as to what the difference is between these two schools. These programs seem quite similar, but what is the real difference? Which do you think would be a better progra, to go in to?

[Marsha McLaughlin]

Hi Taylor

I will do my best to provide some comparisons of the Bauman College Natural Chef Program to the Nutrition Therapy Institutes Natural Foods Chef Program.  I would like to point out that I am only an expert on the Bauman College Programs and I strongly recommend that you do  strong 'side by side' research of the two school curriculum's to determine which is the best fit for you.

Bauman College has been training students for 23 years and has offered its Natural Chef Program since 1997.  We are the original and premier Natural Chef School in the country. Our philosophy of holistic, whole food nutrition is non-dogmatic and seeks to find the ideal diet suited to each individual.  We emphasize the use of whole, seasonal, locally grown, organic, natural foods, and nutritive herbs and spices to create meals that restore metabolic balance.  Career opportunities in whole foods cooking are dramatically increasing as the value of nutrition becomes increasingly recognized in society.  Our hands on learning process teaches students the skills required of professionally trained chefs and also provides a grounded foundation to the art and science of holistic, research-based nutrition. 

Following are some comparisons of both programs in terms of hours and program costs.  I have also highlighted the focus and curriculum of the Bauman College Natural Chef Program.  You will need to compare to other school curriculum's.

Bauman College Natural Chef Program:

Hours Completed: 450
Classes meet for 22 weeks with an additional 6 weeks for the completion of your Externship Hours (7 month program)
Classes meet 3 days per week for a total of 15-18 hours per week

Tuition:  Total cost of $13,077.50.  Total cost includes registration fee, and all materials including textbooks and Knife and Tool set, and ServSafe Certification


Nutrition Therapy Institute Natural Foods Chef Program:

Hours Completed: 368
Classes meet for 16 weeks
Classes meet 3 days per week for a total of 18 hours per week

Tuition: Cost of $8800 with additional required costs. Does Not Include registration fee, materials which include required textbooks ($400-$500), Knife and Tool set ($800 - $1000), or ServSafe Certification


The Bauman College Natural Chef curriculum consists of the following:

Culinary Nutrition and Kitchen Basics:  Students become Certified ServSafe Food Managers, learn the principles of local, seasonal, organic, whole-food, plant-based ingredients, recipe writing, culinary math, and knife skills

Food Foundations:  Students learn how to prepare health-supportive recipes with classic and contemporary cooking techniques, learn to cook with nutritive ingredients in place of overly-consumed and common allergenic stapes of mainstream home and restaurant cuisine

World Cuisine: Students learn the values of global cooking traditions that embrace plant-based, whole-food choices, while learning the healing properties of exotic vegetables and spices including Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, North African, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Latin American, and North American

Farm to Table:  Students learn the art of traditional preparations such as fermenting, dehydrating, and food preserving.  This section also includes a field trip to give students an opportunity to connect with individuals working in the local, sustainable, natural food industry

Therapeutic Applications: The most valuable section in our curriculum.  This section teaches students the role food plays in recovery and management of health conditions.  Sections include Therapeutic Herbs and Spices, Therapeutic Menu Planning, Digestive Wellness I and II, Candida, Allergy and Immunity, Blood Sugar I and II, Weight Management, Heart Health, and Cancer I and II

Client Services: Students receive specific instruction on how to develop streamlined culinary operation in a variety of chef services including Business Development, Culinary Careers, Large-Scale Food Preparation and Marketing and Partnerships

Culinary Showcase: Students demonstrates their mastery of food selection, preparation, and presentation. Family and friends have an opportunity to sample the students' work in a festive atmosphere. Includes Showcase Planning, Showcase Recipe Testing I and II, Showcase Scaling and Costing, Showcase Preparation, Showcase Event, and Showcase Material Assembly.

Bauman College students also complete 15 hours of In-House Culinary Hours and 50 hours of Culinary Externship Hours.

Students will also be responsible for completing a Midterm Exam and a Final Presentation.  The Final Presentation entails a student choosing a specific health condition and to conduct research , provide nutritional information on how food aids in the recovery of the condition, and create original recipes that demonstrate their understanding of the culinary and healing arts

I am always available to talk with anyone individually.  Please don't hesitate to contact me for additional information on the Bauman College Natural Chef Program.

Be Well,

Marsha McLaughlin
Bauman College
Admissions Manager
marsha.mclaughlin@baumancollege.org
800-987-7530

[Taylor Simon]

Now, is the Natural Chef program in Boulder the same as the program at the Bauman Colleges in California?

[Marsha McLaughlin]

Hi Taylor

Yes.  Our Natural Chef Program and curriculum is exactly the same regardless of which location you attend.

Be Well,

Marsha McLaughlin
Bauman College
Admissions Manager
marsha.mclaughlin@baumancollege.org
800-987-7530

[Taylor Simon]

Sorry I'm asking so many questions. I am just wanting to make certain that this is THE school I want to attend.
One last question... for now. Do you accept any scholarship from fastweb.com?

[Marlina E]

You can never ask too many questions!  That is what we are here for. 

We do not accept scholarships from fastweb.com.                                                   

[Taylor Simon]

On the funding and fees page of the website it says that you do.

[Taylor Simon]

I am now confused because this is now a contradicting fact. The website says to look on fastweb.com yet you say y'all do not accept them. I'm a bit confused.

[Marlina E]

I am sorry to provide confusing information. Our Admissions Manager is out on a family emergency, so I was filling in.  OK, here is the scoop. We do accept scholarships, however you must use a scholarship that is applicable to a vocational training program.  We are not a "title 4" approved school, so make sure to rule out that requirement in your search.  We have had students using this kind of money in the past. 

I was getting confused with federal funding programs.  The only ones that we qualify for are WIA and TAA.

Sorry for the confusion! 

[Taylor Simon]

The reason that I ask is because I am coming in as an Undergraduate straight out of high school, and I am seeing if there is any type of funding or scholarships available for myself.