Become a Natural Food Chef
Like to cook? Imagine cooking fabulous meals for your family, friends and clients.
Picture yourself in your kitchen surrounded by nothing but organic vegetables, whole grains, top-quality meats, eggs and a range of the more unusual things like pate, kimchi, kefir and bone broth. If you resonate with the idea of creating delicious meals that are not only healthy but downright regenerative, then join us!
About the Program:
Our Natural Food Chef Program offers students the opportunity to learn how to awaken the vitalizing power of food through in-person professional cooking instruction.
You will experience the secrets of healthy cooking in the context of prioritizing nutrient density. Pairing together high quality ingredients with professional chef skills, you will learn to prepare foods that not only taste good and look good, but also promote optimal wellness.
Mastery of foundational chef skills like cutting, chopping, braising, basting, sauces, and soups is emphasized.
This training prepares you to cook in a wide variety situations, including at home for your family or as a personal chef. You will develop confidence to perform in any cooking situation that puts a premium on health.
Your Training Prepares You To:
- Design individualized menus and recipes tailored to maximize wellness
- Develop a business as a personal chef using high-quality, nutrient-dense whole-food ingredients
- Cater healthy meals for events, retreats, and community organizations
- Teach cooking classes in person or online to friends, neighbors, and others - develop a following of home cooks who want new ideas
- Produce healthy specialty foods for restaurants and stores
- Teach clients about the connection between health, recipes, and the joy of eating delicious food
There are many possibilities to consider as a graduate of NTI. You can read about them in our What To Do With a Natural Food Chef Certification post.
Program Details:
- The NFC program is 15 weeks long.
- Classes are taught in person in our professionally appointed teaching kitchen, in Arvada, Colorado.
- Class schedule: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10 am to 6 pm; totaling 24 hours of in-person class time per week.
- The course schedule accommodates people who work part-time or have flexible work schedules.
- There are two program sessions per year, one beginning in August and one beginning in January.
- An additional 80 hours of independent study and 16 hours of guided study.
- Learn to cook while unleashing your creative side — understand the principles of cooking techniques,
- Develop your own menu plans and carve your niche in the growing demand for healthy living.
- Entry into NFC does not require completion of the NTMC program – no need to have nutrition skills to be a Natural Food Chef.
- Please see the tuition page for information on interest-free payment plan options and a full tuition breakdown.
Now Enrolling for Spring Term 2025
The term runs from January 27 - May 16, 2025
What Our Chef Graduates Say
"I completed the Natural Food Chef program spring of 2023. I am grateful daily(!) for the outstanding education at NTI! I'm also inspired to continue to expand my knowledge, education and service to clients and others. ♡" –Amy Smith
"My husband recently graduated from the natural food chef program and I can say without a doubt his skills have improved and he learned so much!" –Jessica Hammill
"Excellent quality education, lovely faculty and staff, very easily accessible by car or by public transit. The NFC program is a great choice both for anyone interested in the culinary arts and nutrition, whether you're a home cook or a culinary professional looking to avoid working in a restaurant. It is a full culinary arts program that also provides a practical overview of nutrition and its applications in the kitchen. It is a unique learning experience that you'll be hard pressed to find at other culinary schools. The institute is also very supportive to their graduates after leaving the school as well, and continues to be an excellent resource for practitioners." –Michael Coffey
Find Out More About Becoming a Natural Food Chef
Do you have a passion for healthy cooking? Get more information by filling out the form below.
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