nourishment beyond the plate.

By Andie Sfyris, Project Officer, National Nutrition Week

For many of us, food is more than just something we eat, it’s part of our story, traditions, and our connection to others.

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a family that valued food. It brought us together every Sunday, and it was where I spent most evenings, watching my mother cook, and being involved in any way I could.

It was never just about the food itself. I remember the smells, the conversations, the stories told, and the sense of comfort when sharing a meal together with family. Those moments shaped my understanding of cooking as an act of care, love, and an opportunity to provide nourishment to mind, body and soul.

As I grew older, I carried those lessons into my own kitchen. Experimenting with new recipes was my way of exploring my creativity.

I would often find myself trying to come up with a new dish and often found myself going back to my “base formula” = protein source, vegetables, and carbohydrate source. This helped me build many unique recipes.

Once I had those building blocks, I could experiment with herbs, spices, sauces and flavours, like creating my own piece of art through food. Swapping ingredients and trialling new cooking methods became part of the process for me, and this was how I built my confidence in the kitchen.

Throughout this process, I learnt valuable lessons and built skills, such as timing the different elements of my meal so that I can have everything ready at the same time, this doesn’t always happen, but I’ve gotten much better at it the more I cook!

Nutritious cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple changes can make a meaningful difference, adding an extra vegetable, choosing a whole grain, experimenting with herbs and spices to bring new life to a dish. These small shifts not only support our health but also keeps cooking interesting and fresh.

Loving what you cook comes from intention, and exploration. Intend to choose ingredients and meals that support health and wellbeing and explore, allow yourself to try new things. When we combine these principles, we allow cooking to be a fulfilling practice of self-care, rather than a chore.

Food is one of the most powerful ways we connect. By learning to love what you cook, you not only create meals that fuel your body, but also bring joy and meaning to everyday life.