Masterchef judge reveals the 'junk' foods never allowed in his house

"There's no sugar in my house. There's no popcorn. There's no Coca-Cola," Novelli told The Senior.

"I'm not against it, but we've arrived at this position where we understand it's not good for you."

As the latest series of Masterchef Australia kicks off, the French restaurateur spoke about rejecting processed foods as he focuses on cooking healthy whole foods for his family.

Novelli shared his top tips for home cooking, including leaning into leftovers, shopping for freshness, and incorporating broccoli into every meal.

"Don't be scared to go back to your grandma's recipes," Novelli said.

"They are the best."

As a child, Novelli said he was inspired watching his mother cook, saying she had "a way of passing love through her cooking."

"If my mum was not a good cook I would never have been a chef."

Home cooks should try to stock their kitchen cupboards with traditional ingredients used by their family, he said, particularly if they used whole ingredients over processed foods.

"Your mum, your dad, or your granddad, or your neighbours, lived back in a generation where they knew what was real."

Supermarkets are often filled with highly processed foods, that Novelli believes take up too much shelf space which would be better filled with quality ingredients.

And while he sees the importance of convenient, ready-made ingredients, he still prefers to make his own breads, pasta and gnocchi from scratch.

"It [processed food] is there for a reason, but I am not going to accept that in my house, trust me."

Becoming confident with grocery shopping is key to mastering your home kitchen, and Novelli says many people just don't know how to shop well.

"Shopping is very important," he said.

He "loves" the Australian advent of tearable paper shopping bags, explaining they are perfect for stopping shoppers from buying "too much" at a time.

The Michelin-starred chef prefers to do regular shops throughout the week, so his fresh ingredients don't expire.

"Take your time. Spend as much time to go shopping as you do socialising," he urged.

Planning larger portions that can be saved and eaten over multiple days can help ease the burden of cooking, the 65-year-old said.

"Think of the leftovers and do a little bit more. Try to cook twice when you are doing it once," he said.

To make meals last, Novelli also likes freezing his home-cooked meals and defrosting them in the microwave.

How the Michelin chef eats at home

"I don't cook for myself. I cook for my family," Novelli said.

"Honestly, it's funny, but very true. I don't cook to please myself or because I want something. It's because I want them to eat."

Eggs are a staple breakfast for his three sons, and he often cooks his wife Michelle an omelette with avocado and cheese.

His youngest son, Valentino, is a picky eater but will devour Novelli's sautéed potatoes with black pudding.

At dinnertime, the chef prefers to keep it simple, putting together family meals using whatever ingredients he has in his fridge.

"I try to be as versatile as possible, but I always make sure they eat broccoli," he said.

"Every single day they will eat at least 300 grams of broccoli each.

"My wife, she tells me off, but I don't care," he joked.

"Eat the broccoli. It's about being healthy."