Culinary competency as a protective factor against ultra-processed food consumption and unhealthy cooking practices: a comparative study between type 1 diabetes patients and healthy controls

Background The rise of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) poses a significant challenge for chronic disease management. Culinary competence (CC) has been described as a behavioral characteristic associated with higher quality dietary patterns. This study aimed to analyze the association between CC and unhealthy dietary behaviors in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared to a healthy population. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 592 Spanish adults ( n = 287 T1D; n = 305 controls). CC was assessed using a validated 18-item scale. Statistical analyses included Spearman correlations, multiple linear regression adjusted for sociodemographic factors, and Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). Results T1D patients reported higher CC scores than controls, particularly in health-oriented skills like label reading and recipe modification ( p < 0.05). Multivariate models showed that CC was independently associated with lower convenience/pre-prepared food consumption in the T1D group ( B = −0.007, p = 0.002). In contrast, for healthy controls, CC it was mainly associated with a reduction in unhealthy sauces and heavy cooking methods. LPA identified two distinct groups: “Culinary Experts” (72.3%) and “Moderate Competency” (27.7%). Experts showed significantly lower UPF intake regardless of clinical status or income. Conclusion Culinary competency acts as a transversal protective factor against unhealthy eating habits. In T1D, these skills they seem to be primarily related to the avoidance of unhealthy foods. Integrating practical culinary education into clinical care could enhance self-management and metabolic health.