Nutritionist Ally Bowker’s goal is simple: to make delicious food that makes you feel good. She’s always learning and calls herself a forever student of the culinary arts. Her enthusiasm and love of food is contagious, so it’s no wonder she’s garnered a large following on social media.
She grew up in Schitt’s Creek (literally, the town just outside of Toronto where the show is filmed), attended Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, and now resides in sunny Los Angeles, working for a clientele that ranges from top models to actors. For Boker, her culinary journey began with childhood curiosity and evolved into a mission to empower individuals through her personal approach to food, as she firmly believes in the adage “food is medicine.”
Bowker advocates for a holistic culinary philosophy that transcends fads, embraces sustainable practices and embraces the joy of high-quality ingredients tailored to the unique needs of each individual. Having recently attended Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, she recognizes the nuances between her reverence for Parisian haute cuisine and Los Angeles’ dynamic wellness environment.
Below, we speak with Bowker to hear how her passion for nutrition developed and rose to the height of her career, plus hear more about her current and next projects.
Tell us about your career as a nutritional chef and how you got there.
My sister and I were raised by my mother and inherited her love of cooking from an early age. As a child, I would spend hours watching cooking shows and trying to recreate the dishes, and I would often cook multi-course meals for my family. I remember watching a documentary about cooking. Super Size Me I watched this show with my mom when I was 12 years old. It sparked my interest in how food affects our mental and physical health. I watched various documentaries and spent hours in the library learning everything I could. I compiled this information and shared what I learned in a presentation I gave to my elementary school class.
What motivates you to share your knowledge and experiences on social media?
It’s amazing to know you can have such an impact on someone’s life without ever meeting them in person. Social media is so powerful. The idea that I might be able to help someone and help them get through a difficult time is what motivates me to share on social media. When I first started my health journey, I searched the internet for answers but found nothing and was looking in the wrong places. What I share on social media is based on what I was once looking for and I hope it helps others on a similar journey.
Can you talk about how you create nutrition plans with your clients?
Through my work, I have had the privilege of working with some truly amazing people, from professional athletes to top models to award-winning actors, and I also get to collaborate with their incredible medical teams to better understand their health with insightful blood and hormone testing.
Nutrition must be highly customized and will vary from person to person due to numerous factors that influence an individual’s dietary needs and reactions to different foods. These factors include genetic makeup, how the body metabolizes nutrients, and how people respond to different diets. Additionally, age, gender, and activity levels also play a key role in determining nutritional requirements. Health conditions such as allergies and intolerances will require further personalized dietary adjustments.
Lifestyle choices such as stress levels, sleep patterns and physical activity also affect nutritional needs. Cultural background and personal preferences influence eating habits and food choices, making nutrition a highly personal matter. Furthermore, individual goals such as losing weight, building muscle or managing specific health conditions require customized meal plans. The complex interplay of biological, lifestyle and personal factors underscores the need for a customized approach to nutrition to help each person achieve optimal health and well-being.
Tell us about your experience at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris. What differences have you noticed between Paris and LA as cities with a strong focus on health and nutrition in youth culture?
I came to Paris to study at Cordon Bleu culinary school and it was one of the most impactful experiences I’ve ever had. I came with the intention of gaining a deeper understanding of the discipline and level of professionalism in cooking. My experience was incredibly intense and fundamentally changed my approach to cooking. As a self-taught person, the structured environment was difficult at first, but extremely rewarding.
The rigorous curriculum demands high levels of discipline, precision and dedication, and forced me to rediscover my skills and techniques far beyond my previous capabilities. The professional atmosphere of Le Cordon Bleu instilled in me a deep respect for culinary traditions and the importance of meticulous attention to detail. This experience not only honed my technical skills, but also deepened my understanding of kitchen professionalism, teamwork and the relentless pursuit of culinary excellence. I am excited to combine these new skills with my nutrition-focused approach to cooking and start testing recipes for my clients.
It’s interesting to compare Paris and Los Angeles. Both cities have very different approaches to health and wellness. In Paris, there is a strong cultural emphasis on enjoying a balanced, high-quality diet. The French approach to nutrition values moderation, seasonal ingredients, the social aspect of eating, and fosters a mindful eating culture that encourages savoring food without overeating. Young Parisians often inherit this attitude of enjoying food with attention to balance and intuitive eating, and viewing food as a pleasure.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, embodies a health-conscious, trend-driven mindset that prioritizes innovation in nutrition and fitness. Los Angeles youth culture is heavily influenced by health trends, superfoods, and specialty diets. Fitness culture is pervasive in Los Angeles, with an emphasis on a variety of physical activities, including yoga, hiking, and boutique fitness classes. The result is a proactive approach to health, where exercise and nutrition are integral parts of daily life, driven by the desire for optimal health and aesthetic goals.
Both cities value wellness, but in different ways: Paris tends to lean towards traditional, balanced habits, while Los Angeles features a dynamic, trend-driven approach to health.
What do you bring back from Paris to your workspace and clients in LA?
I have always loved the Parisian lifestyle and developed a deep appreciation for balance, quality, and mindful eating. This time in Paris reaffirmed these beliefs. I intend to remind my clients of this appreciation and approach to nutrition and food and encourage them to adopt a more holistic approach to nutrition that focuses on the joy of healthy eating rather than excess. Rather than focusing on health-conscious trends that come and go in Los Angeles, I aim to offer my clients a comprehensive, sustainable path to health that is focused on what works best for them and makes them feel their best selves.
What are you currently working on that you’re excited to share with our audience?
I have a lot of exciting projects I’ve been working on that I haven’t shared with my readers yet, from a nutrition and meal prep service in Los Angeles to a nutritious product I’ve been working on for the last year and a half. I’m excited to share more about my life and work outside of social media and the day-to-day endeavors I haven’t shared with my community yet. There’s a lot more to come.
