Sarah Todd first appeared on the Australian food scene in 2014, as one of that season’s most popular MasterChef Australia contestants. A former high-end fashion model, Sarah epitomizes her belief that eating well and looking your best are possible when you use loads of fresh herbs, aromatic spices and beautiful ingredients to create food that is healthy, yet still bursting with flavor.
This month, Women Fitness India catches up with the highly successful Restaurateur to learn about her journey from modelling to opening up her own restaurant in India.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Since childhood, you were more into fitness and sports that slowly led you to modelling. After spending a decade dedicated to modeling on runways and shooting photo spreads, you discovered your love for food culture that you had never known before. Exposure to so many different and exciting cuisines sparked your imagination and you began to feel heady with possibility. Share with us your incredible journey of discovering your true passion for food?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
From a very young age my mother has been an incredible desert cook. Every year at Christmas time, I would help my mother bake 100’s of cookies which she placed in cookie jars to give as gifts. Our Christmas dessert table was something any family would envy, with so many delicious options that we all looked forward to all year round. However it wasn’t until my son was born that I discovered my true passion for cooking. I would spend all of Sunday’s prepping organic baby food for him for the week and then I went on to making 3 course meals every night as it was like some Martha Stewart was released inside me…I was obsessed.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You went on to receive training in French cookery from Le Cordon Bleu and experience alongside Michelin star chef’s Neil Borthwick and Angela Hartnett at Merchant’s Tavern, and hatted restaurants Tonka and St. Crispin in Australia. You also got the opportunity to participate in Master-Chef Australia season 6. Your career has totally been spectacular, How does it feel to be where you are today both professionally & personally?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
The thing is I have had my head down for the past 3 years working long hours, studying, raising a child, splitting my time between Australia and India, doing business in a foreign country and I haven’t had a single day off in that entire time. I have to admit it has been the toughest three years of my life and there where times when I wanted to give up. About 6 months back on a day where I was really feeling the pressure of it all, a table of 3 beautiful young girls came into Antares, my restaurant in Goa and they wanted to meet me. I walked over to find this girl crying, she was so inspired by my journey and overwhelmed to meet me. I finally took a step back and realised my purpose. What I am doing now is bigger than me and I’m proud of what I have achieved and more than that, I realise my purpose, to continue inspiring females to push the boundaries, follow their dreams and know that it is not easy but it is worth it.
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness Org
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Healthy food combined with an active lifestyle is a must. Unfold the exercises that comprise your fitness regime on a daily basis?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
I have an extremely busy schedule which involves a lot of travel and hotel rooms. My main focus is to keep strong. I will stretch for 10 minutes a day and work out 3 times a week. I do a 20 minute run followed by weights. Whenever I’m in a new city, I go on a longer run to explore the city, it’s one of my favourite things to do.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Sarah, with a strong belief in fueling your family with nutritious yet tasty meals. What kind of diet would you recommend in general to stay healthy and physically fit? Enlist your 5 favorite foods?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
I encourage people to count nutrients rather than calories. What I mean by this is a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, clean protein, however in saying that, I never deprive myself of anything as I believe it is unachievable to maintain.
For breakfast I like a fresh vegetable juice with eggs and sautéed greens.
Lunch I like a piece of fish with vegetables and rice.
Dinner a vegetable curry.
Snacks, nuts, juices, fruit, rice crackers.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and long, flowing hair – what skincare and hair care tips would you like to suggest to our visitors?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
No. 1 tip is a regular trim, I get a little cut off my hair every 6-8 weeks. People think they will not be able to grow their hair long but it’s absolutely not true. Find a hairdresser that listens to you and only trim off the split ends, approximately 1cm. It keeps your locks healthy and stops it from breaking.
Secondly, I like to keep my skin hydrated through an abundance of water 2-3 litres per day and I use an oil based cleanser.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Being a mom, it appears you are particular about cooking your son healthy meals. What are your Top 3 Indian specialty dishes for kids?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
Paratha and unda is my son’s favorite breakfast, protein rich and gives him so much energy in the morning.
He loves pakora so I make a healthy baked version of this which is a fish pakora, protein and vegetable packed, its delicious.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You published your first cookbook “The Healthy Model Cookbook” with a focus on fresh seasonal produce cooked simply and packed with fantastic ways to inject flavor into dishes, stating, healthy eating doesn’t need to be boring. Share with us some tips to cook healthy meals in an Indian Household?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
I notice a lot of Indian dishes are heavy on carbohydrates, instead of having aloo gobi with rice or paratha, rather skip the rice and paratha and add a protein rich element like quinoa or a chickpea salad to go with it. It’s about finding ways to balance a dish. The ideal equation is 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 20% fats.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your love for Indian cooking, led you to establish your very own Restaurant in India, Antares. How has this endeavor of yours been performing so far?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
It is our third year running now and it is buzzing, my team is fantastic and I’m so proud of the culture we have built in Antares.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have done a 10-episode adventure, travel and food series where you travel and cook your way around Goa tasting local delicacies, elephant rides to health retreats which is aired on FOX Life. How was your experience exploring the local delicacies of Goa? Which ones are your favourites?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
I am always amazed at the diversity in cuisine in every place I venture to in India and Goa was no exception. My favourite memory from the trip was catching fresh crab and cooking it Crab Xacuti style with the locals on the bank of the back waters.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Sarah, your love for fusion cuisine is pretty obvious, share with us your favorite fusion dishes that are a blend of Australian and Indian cuisine.
Ms. Sarah Todd:
- Raan kohlapurri served atop a betal leaf with avocado raita and boondi.
- Kingfish pani puri.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What do you wish to say about Women Fitness and message for our visitors?
Ms. Sarah Todd:
I am very thankful to be gracing the cover of Women Fitness, I want women to feel empowered and to love their bodies what ever size they are. I’m 10 kg’s heavier now than my modelling days and I have never felt better, I’m strong, energetic, I live a balanced life without cutting out the guilty pleasures. I truly believe if we love our bodies as they are, it is much easier to live a balanced, wholesome life.
Follow her on:
- https://www.instagram.com/sarahtodd/
- https://twitter.com/Sarah_Todd_
- https://www.facebook.com/sarahtoddchef/
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness Org