28, Nutritionist, SA

As a clinical nutritionist (BHSc), Malissa Fedele knows the importance of good food for good health. Being a part of an Italian family means she also knows that good food means good times.

Born and bred in Adelaide, Malissa’s big, loud, Italian family have influenced her interest in food from the get-go. Her parents owned a fruit and vegetable store where she and her siblings worked, and both her Nonna’s and her mum encouraged her to get into the kitchen.

Italian cuisine is a clear favourite for Malissa and she loves the calming, therapeutic process of making pasta and sauces from scratch. Easily favouring savoury over sweet, she enjoys cooking for her family and partner Ryan.

Food is a huge part of her work too. Malissa’s own clinical practice focuses on women’s health needs and offers nutritional consultations to help create healthy lifestyles and make better dietary choices to best support women’s emotional and physical health and wellbeing.

Drawing from her own experience of managing her anxiety over the years, Malissa has also developed a line of wellness journals, which support others to manage their anxiety, using nutrition as a key tool. Practicing journaling for daily reflection will be important for Malissa during the competition, as will maintaining her fitness with running, yoga or pilates.

Malissa knows that being here is a once in a lifetime experience and is determined to take the bull by the horns, adding her Italian flair wherever she can to impress, and being mindful not to overthink things.

Beyond the MasterChef kitchen, Malissa would love to explore penning her own cookbooks and having a cooking show to share with people how simple, fun, inexpensive and healthy cooking can be, providing nourishment from the inside out.