Before the birth of her baby, Fox FM breakfast radio presenter Fifi Box was a "mess" in the kitchen, a place used primarily for storage. "I had shoes in the oven," recalls Box of her former life, which included late nights and sausage rolls on the way home from work functions. The arrival of daughter Trixie, now 18 months, forced Box to take charge of her diet. Now she is Australian ambassador of the New Atkins Nutritional Approach, a health campaign to eliminate "bad" carbohydrates, such as white flour and sugar, and promote whole foods. "It changed my life. It revolutionised it, actually."
The staples
My pantry: I can't do anything without olive oil – I use Colavita extra virgin. And I'm a real flavour junkie so you'll find fresh herbs and salt and pepper, of course. I use a lot of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and when I was in Mexico not long ago I bought these great chopped cilantro [coriander] leaves, which gives my food a nice spicy, Mexican kick. Almond milk and coconut water have become really big in my life – I use them to make green smoothies with berries, spinach and kale.
My fridge: I love Brussels sprouts (I roast them with other vegies or fry with speck and chopped up chorizo sausage), Meredith goat's cheese, which I crumble into quinoa or chickpea salads; and there are always strawberries, blueberries, Greek yoghurt, olives. Every week I make almond coconut balls with dates, vanilla essence and cacao to snack on. Plus ham, vegies like broccolini, which I'll fry in some olive oil with some chilli flakes to have with a piece of steak; Western Star regular butter, free-range eggs and five:am vanilla bean yoghurt for Trixie.
Secret vice:
Soft cheeses are my absolute vice. Anything soft and smelly – Brie de Meaux, anything blue, with some fig paste – I'm very hard to stop. I'm a reformed chocoholic so I use the Atkins Chocolate Break bars, which are my indulgence when I need a chocolate hit.
Last night's dinner:
A chicken curry with pumpkin and cauliflower rice. I didn't make it very strong because I gave it to my daughter – it was her first curry. I usually like a bit more bite to my curries.
I'm drinking:
I'm not teetotal – I drink socially very occasionally – but I'd probably have two cocktails a year at the moment. The last time I had a drink would have been Christmas. My special occasion drink would be a pina colada. Otherwise I drink a lot of water but I am right into almond milk and coconut milk and mixing them with vegies and fruit.
My toolkit:
I use my Thermomix for every meal – even when I'm feeling lazy and I can't be bothered chopping up an onion with a knife – so that's my main tool. I use my Swiss Diamond heavy frypans, which have glass tops, my Global knives and because I have a baby, I grate everything.
My inspiration:
Travel has been a big inspiration for me. I've learnt to love food through travelling to different countries. And from those experiences when I'm in the kitchen I do look to places I've been, countries I've visited, cuisines I've sampled and try to recreate it.
Favourite
I was in Paris recently and I bought a strawberry-shaped colander, which is just a bit bigger than a strawberry punnet. It's very cute. And I've got lots of decorative plates. I love my plates to have colour.
Most unforgettable meal:
I had an incredible burrito in Hawaii in 2010 and have been back twice since. It was a whole wheat wrap filled with everything – chilli con carne, salad, kidney beans, corn, brown rice, cheese and a creamy dressing. In the two weeks I was there I literally had it every night for dinner.
Recipe stalwart:
Once a week I make chicken burgers, which I can then freeze. I use chicken mince, grated carrot and zucchini, almond meal, egg and chilli flakes – I fry them and serve them in an iceberg lettuce cup with some sliced avocado, tomato and some more chilli flakes sprinkled on top.
Discovery:
Cauliflower "rice". You blend cauliflower heads into the consistency of rice and then fry it in a pan with olive oil or coconut oil and chopped onions for a few minutes. It's a great low-carb alternative to normal rice.