I'm Amelia Stewart - Welcome to Cook First!

My philosophy is that, in order to feed your soul and nourish your body, you don’t need to be extravagant or wasteful: wholesome, nutritious and delicious meals can be simply achieved without spending excessive time and money, or throwing away surplus food.

During my five years working with the food aid arm of the UN – the World Food Programme - I experienced first-hand how a nutritious diet is vital to leading a healthy and active life. My journey into mindful eating began in 2013 initially for health reasons; my newfound dietary consciousness blossomed into my now passionate belief in incorporating sustainable, seasonal, and (where possible) local produce into my cooking as much as possible. 

It’s not just about what we ingest, too, but also how conscious we are of what we waste.  Annually, the amount of food wasted in developed countries almost equals the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (over 200 million tons).  At the same time, one in nine people globally do not have enough food to live healthily.

Through my lessons you will learn to love your leftovers and how rewarding it is to get creative with whatever’s in the ‘reduced’ section of your local supermarket.

Through my own experience I have developed a simple approach to achieving a healthy, balanced lifestyle while nurturing physical strength and mental wellbeing.  Although personally I avoid gluten, dairy and most refined sugar (for intolerance reasons), I would never ban these food groups from anyone else’s diet. You must do what works for you, and I would only ever encourage you to do whatever makes you healthiest and happiest.

Empower yourself and impress others. Cook First.