On the Job

Chef Rosie’s Tips to Help Chefs Look After Their Own Nutrition

23 October 2025 By Rosie Dunningham
Photo: Stuart Pearce/Yachtshot

Rosie Dunningham has been cooking on 230ft+ motor yachts since 2015. She writes a weekly Substack newsletter, chronicling her experiences in the industry, sharing recipes and occasionally spilling the tea on what life is really like on the high seas. Follow her on Instagram @all_is_rosie_

Just like how therapists need therapy, chefs need nutrition.

An increasingly prominent overlap has developed between professional cooking and nutrition. On yachts in particular, more and more chefs care deeply about the nutritional properties of food, and those hiring want chefs to keep nutrition principles at the forefront of their minds.

An army marches on its stomach, and yacht crew are no different. Adequate fuel is necessary for the energy their jobs require, and it’s not just the quantity that needs consideration but the quality, and importantly, the micro- and macro-nutrient profile of each meal.

And while the crew chef is also the onboard nutritionist, my question is, who’s looking after the crew chef? All too often, those who give and give and give forget to look after themselves. So, here are my top tips for crew chefs to look after their own nutrition:

Don’t Get Sucked in by Temptation

Human beings have this tendency in buffet-type situations to sample every single cuisine on offer. Crew are similarly surrounded by a frankly hedonistic never-ending supply of food. The crew chef is there to provide food the crew love, and the stews buy everyone’s favorite treats. I’m here to tell you that just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Try to tune into your hunger signals. We often eat just because it’s break time, or just because everyone else is eating. Take a bit of time to think about how you feel, ask yourself what your body needs and honor that.

Hydrate Before Anything Else

During a power morning, you get into the galley, put on a playlist, get ten jobs on the go, and the dance begins. Your attention is split and you’re spinning plates. Basic self-care like drinking water is usually the first thing to go. When you’re busy, even emptying your bladder is put off until you start doing what my old head chef called “the pee dance.” Dehydration can often be confused with hunger. We might think we’re hungry, but we just need a glass of water. Keep a bottle on your bench and add electrolytes or a sprinkle of good-quality salt to your glass to hydrate even more effectively.

iStock/andresr

Taste, and Still Eat

All chefs taste their food as they go. Otherwise, food is sent out blind. A potential pitfall is to think that these tastes replace a square meal. They don’t. While constant tasting might keep hunger at bay for a while, eventually real hunger will hit, and the chef doesn’t think they need or deserve a full meal. This is when the snack cupboard might be raided, or a tub of ice cream and spoon brought out. Instead, we should consider our nutritional requirements, put together a well-balanced plate, sit down, take a load off and enjoy it.

Sleep When You Can

Telling crew to sleep more is like telling a penguin to fly. They just can’t. But a lack of sleep plays havoc with our hunger-signaling hormones. Ghrelin is naturally produced when our guts want to signal to our brain that we’re hungry. When we’re overly tired, ghrelin levels rise. We instinctively reach for energy-dense foods like sweet snacks and fast food — all the stuff that makes us feel worse afterwards. So instead of going for “easy energy,” grab whatever rest you can, when you can. It will regulate your hormone production, and if you consciously choose unprocessed, whole foods, your body will thank you.

Use Rewards that Aren’t Food

Running around like a headless chicken can leave us feeling drained and in dire need of a pick-me-up when we eventually get 15 minutes to ourselves. If you’re hungry, eat. But if you find that you’re rewarding yourself with food when you don’t need it, choose an alternative energizing option: go outside, and do some deep belly breathing; stretch; put your legs up the wall in your cabin and read a book; take a cold shower; call friends and family; or send and listen to some voice notes. Just remember, be sure to fit your own oxygen mask first, before helping others with theirs.

 

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