Become a Natural Chef
Study Online
Become a Natural Chef
Study Online
Online Natural Chef Diploma Course
Train as a Natural Chef from anywhere in the world. This ICSA-certified diploma course is taught online over 9–12 months, part-time, so you can fit your studies around work and family. You’ll learn from recorded lectures and demonstrations, join live tutorials with a professional chef, and complete an internship in a kitchen near you.
CNM has more than 25 years’ experience in natural health education, and graduates are eligible to join the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP) on qualifying.
Online Course Overview
Study mode: Online, wherever you are in the world
Length: 9–12 months, part-time
Total hours: 540
How the Body Works: 60 hours online
Nutrition for Everyday Living: 60 hours online
Kitchen training: 140 hours, plus 160 hours of home assignments
Internship: 120 hours (20 more than the in-class course, so you gain extra kitchen experience)
Qualification: CNM Diploma (Dip. Natural Chef)
What you’ll study
Most chef training starts in the kitchen. At CNM, you start with the body. You’ll learn how food is digested and absorbed, and how organs such as the liver, pancreas and kidneys play a part in nutrition. Next comes nutrition itself: how to combine foods thoughtfully and how to cook for different constitutions and wellbeing goals.
Only then do you build your chef skills, learning core techniques by watching our Natural Chef experts at work. By the time you reach the kitchen, you’ll know how food affects the body, so you’ll understand why each technique is used, not just how to do it.
Part 1: How the Body Works
Understanding how the body functions, the digestive and immune systems and the gut brain axis. How food, environment and lifestyle affect the body on a cellular level. Knowing when to refer to a specialist.
Part 2: Nutrition for Everyday Living
Food choices and how the nutritional values of individual foods impact our immunity, cognitive abilities and energy levels, is the focus of CNM’s classroom-based Short Course in Nutrition for Every Day Living (NEDL).
If you are already qualified in Biomedicine or Nutrition you can seek an exemption from these parts of the course.
Part 3: Natural Chef Training
500 kitchen hours and home assignments
Leading Natural Chefs will teach you essential cooking techniques. You’ll also learn methods for sourcing quality ingredients, culinary business principles, and the art of healthful cooking.
Natural Chef Training is comprised of five modules:
Chef Fundamentals
- Food safety and sanitation
- Macro and micro nutrients
- Types of diets (vegan, vegetarian, raw, cooked, paleo, etc.)
- Flavour and taste
- Recipe writing and culinary maths
- Best sources of food and ingredients
- Energetics of food
Chef Techniques
- Kitchen equipment, knife skills
- Cooking, grilling, steaming, and baking
- Sprouting, juicing, and fermenting
- Food presentation and plating
- Food photography and composition
Food
- Stocks, broths, sauces and stews
- Best sources of proteins
- Grains, pulses, nuts and seeds
- Culinary herbs, spices and superfoods
- Juices, smoothies, herbal infusions
- Alternatives to sugar, table salt, dairy, gluten and soya
Food Therapeutics
- Therapeutic menu writing
- Meal planning
- Food therapeutics
- Food to support organ systems
Business
- How to build a successful culinary career
- PR and marketing strategies
- Business planning
How you’ll learn online
You’ll have everything you need in one place: our online learning platform, a study guide and up-to-date course materials written by experts. The course includes:
- Filmed lectures and demonstrations from experienced practitioners, available on demand, 24/7
- Detailed handouts and recipes to go with each lecture
- Live practical tutorials with a professionally trained chef and naturopathic nutritionist
- Group tutorials on Zoom, where you can ask questions and get help with assignments
- Unlimited email contact with the course leader and tutors
- Access to research databases, journals and webinars
- An online community of course colleagues to share ideas and support
How assessment works
There are no course examinations. Instead, you’ll show your progress through:
- Mini-quizzes at the end of each unit
- Written and visual assignments, submitted at the end of each module
- Food preparation assessments, where you demonstrate your techniques to your tutors
- A business plan, so you’re ready to start your own venture after graduating
You’ll be assessed regularly until you’ve shown the chef skills needed to work confidently in a kitchen.
Your internship
- Your internship can be completed at a variety of locations, in kitchens that suit you.
- You’ll have the flexibility to pick and choose when you do your internship, so it fits around your personal and work schedule.
- You can complete your internship hours during the week or at the weekend, either on a weekly basis or in intensive blocks.
Course Overview
Careers after graduation
Graduates work in restaurants, health cafés and spas, or as personal chefs and retreat chefs. Others launch a healthy catering business, write recipes, teach cookery or educate clients on preparing natural foods.
Recognised training you can trust
ICSA certified: The CNM Natural Chef Online course holds the academy certification of the Independent Cookery School Association.
ANP membership: Graduates are eligible to join the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP) upon qualification.
Accredited college: The College of Naturopathic Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC).
Board certified: CNM is board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP).
Online Natural Chef course FAQs
Can I become a chef by studying online?
Yes. You’ll learn through recorded demonstrations and live practical tutorials, cook your own assessed dishes, and complete a kitchen internship, so you graduate with hands-on experience.
How long does the online course take?
9–12 months, part-time.
Do I need any previous experience?
No, there are no prerequisites to study the CNM Natural Chef course.
Are there exams?
No. You’re assessed through quizzes, assignments and food preparation assessments.
How will I get support?
Through live tutorials, unlimited email contact with your tutors and course leader, and a community of fellow students.
Is the online course recognised?
Yes. The course holds ICSA certification, CNM is accredited by ASIC and board certified by the AADP, and graduates can join the ANP on qualifying.
