30 Day Intensive in-person

Raw Food Chef Residency Program

Raw Food Chef Certification Program & Holistic Healing Retreat

30-day intensive in-person

Raw Food Chef
Residency Program

Raw Food Chef Certification Program & Holistic Healing Retreat

Transformative Plant-Based Culinary Deep-Dive:
Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit!

Dive deep into holistic culinary arts and transform your relationship with food in our immersive 4-week residency program.

Embark on an unforgettable journey into the world of plant-based cuisine, honing your skills and unlocking your culinary potential. Nestled on the picturesque island of Ometepe in Nicaragua, Pachavega Plant-Based Culinary School offers an enriching and multifaceted journey that extends beyond traditional culinary education. Our program is a holistic experience, encompassing not only nutritional education and hands-on culinary practice but also a profound detoxification process for both body and mind.

Through our curriculum, you’ll delve deep into the intricacies of taste balancing, learning to harmonize flavors and textures to create truly exceptional dishes. Beyond mere cooking techniques, you’ll cultivate your own culinary identity, crafting signature dishes that reflect your unique creativity and passion.

But our program is more than just a culinary school—it’s a transformative experience that touches every aspect of your being. You’ll explore a diverse range of culinary themes, from fundamental principles of plant-based nutrition to advanced methods for addressing specific health concerns. Whether you’re an avid food enthusiast, aspiring entrepreneur, or dedicated advocate of plant-based living, our immersive program is designed to ignite your passion and equip you with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the world of holistic cuisine.

Join us in embracing the plant-based revolution and become a catalyst for positive change in your community and beyond. Together, let’s harness the transformative power of plant-based living to cultivate a brighter, healthier future for all.

Para el bien de todos!

What You Will Learn

Foundation Staple Foods
Nutrient Dense Plant-Based Nutrition
Knife Skills
Flavor Balancing
How to Stock your Kitchen
Soaking and Sprouting
Cultured and Fermented Foods, Kimchi and Kraut
Sustainability and Ethical Choices
Nut-Free Cuisine and Food Sensitivities
Detoxification and Your pH
Healthy Digestion and your Gut Microbiome
Foods the Promote Digestion

Tips and Tricks for Healthy Detoxification
Healing Spices from Around the World
Gourmet Raw Vegan Meals
Healing Foods for Fertility, Pregnancy and All Life Stages
Healing Herbal Soups and Adaptogens
Raw Desserts and Superfoods
Raw Food and Essential Oils that Heal
Dehydrated Foods
Gourmet Cultured Foods
Medicinal Mushrooms
Vegan Cheese Making
Plating Presentation and Food Photography

What's Included in Your Experience?

Airport Transfer (complimentary, a $120 value)
30 nights accommodation in a private resort (valued at $1200)
All meals included, meticulously curated for your culinary journey (valued at $1550)
Embroidered Personalized Apron (valued at $55)
Comprehensive 400-page training manual for in-depth learning (valued at $240)
Culinary Project Support for hands-on application (valued at $599)
Holistic Nutrition Classes to deepen your understanding (valued at $1897)
Daily morning yoga, movement, and meditation facilitated by Special Guests for holistic well-being (valued at $540)
Instructional Plant labs for practical learning (valued at $2997)
Chocolate Tour and Tasting for a delightful experience (valued at $40)
One-on-One Holistic Business Coaching (2 hours) for personalized guidance (valued at $497)
Breathwork Experience for holistic wellness (valued at $60)

Register Today!

30-DAY INTENSIVE IN-PERSON TRAINING

Jan. 26 - Feb. 25, 2025
Nov. 2 - Dec. 2, 2025
Jan. 4 - Feb. 3, 2026

Retreat – Raw Food Chef Residency Program

Our trainings are for...

the stay-at-home mom

the nutritionist

the Chinese medicine doctor

the new retiree

the red seal chef

the professional athlete

those looking for a new career

those looking to enhance their nutrition intake

the fresh out of high school

The seasoned entrepreneur

… and many more. All these types of people have taken Pachavega’s Raw Food Chef Certification Course.

What we have in common is a desire to create healthy whole food recipes for our families, loved ones, clients and ourselves. We want to know how to help our body do what is designed to do, heal itself.

This course offers an in-depth study into a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle as a means to heal your body and ignite your spirit of adventure and passion to get you into the kitchen and experiment and in turn, improve your health and wellbeing for life.

You will Make Simple as well as Gourmet Recipes

All of our recipes are made with gluten-free, plant-based ingredients that are designed by nature to build health

What's it like to be a Raw Food Chef with Pachavega?

PACHAVEGA PLANT-BASED CULINARY SCHOOL NICARAGUA

Dive into the health benefits of the food that fuels us
Train in valuable basic, intermediate, and advanced kitchen skills
Master the art and intricacies of flavor balancing
Discover how to creatively sauce, plate and present striking dishes
Create nutritional powerhouse meals and culinary masterpieces that anyone from age 0 to 99 is bound to enjoy and benefit from
Learn the art of effective menu construction and design
Acquire a compassion-centered approach to nutrition that supports individual needs and goals
Utilize your nutrition and culinary knowledge and skills as the foundation of a holistic wellness lifestyle
Turn your newfound-insights and mastery into a revenue-generating venture
Have an encouraging feedback and support system from Pachavega educators and students

PAY IN FULL OR IN INSTALMENTS - REGISTER TODAY!

January 26th - February 25th, 2025
November 2nd - December 2nd, 2025
January 4th - February 3rd, 2026

$6997 USD - All-Inclusive

Retreat – Raw Food Chef Residency Program

Kind Words about our Courses

What our graduates are saying about us!

Pachavega's Raw Food Chef Certification Course dispelled the myths of living foods prep and lifestyle. It’s not just what you eat, but how nutrition can influence your physical and emotional state that truly matters. Danielle Arsenault is a passionate and inspiring teacher who has infused this desire to live life to its fullest in me and many others.

This is a practical course that teaches you not only how to make amazing healthful food, but teaches you the science of why we would eat this way. The way the course is structured really heps to maximize the time for optimum absorption of the information. I have learned skills here that I will use for the rest of my life. Thank you Danielle for creating this inspirational course!

Before coming to Pachavega I had been transitioning to plant-based of life. It was a slow process because I wanted to do it responsibly, nutritionally. Taking this course not only jump started the process, it accelerated the process by giving me tools and education to know how to eat a nutrient dense menu. Totally worth every penny and an investment in myself from a health perspective!

Introducing Your Teacher...

Danielle Arsenault, founder of Pachavega Living Foods Education, is a passionate Raw Food Chef and Plant Based Nutrition Educator. In 2011 a near-death rock climbing accident changed her relationship with the world and life as she knew it. It gave her the realization that we are truly blessed to be alive. After she healed her body with food, she made it her life’s purpose to educate the world about the healing power of plant-based whole foods and a healthy lifestyle rooted in compassion for the planet.

Danielle is a professional educator, internationally renowned chef, published author of 7 cookbooks and an award-winning vegan influencer. She is a best-selling co-author and has been on the TedX stage. She has also been featured in over 40 podcasts, 50+ magazine articles, several online summit series and catered over 50 retreats, including almost 30 in-person Raw Food Chef Certification Trainings.

Her professional career includes a stint as a college professor, a Raw Food Chef and Nutrition Consultant at a tropical wellness resort and designing and teaching over 350 students, online and in-person, through her Online Culinary Arts Institute and in-person Holistic Wellness Retreats. She lives on the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua and frequently donates her time and passion to teach healthy cooking skills within her local community.

As Seen In:

Location and Accommodation

Ometepe island. nicaragua

Our Raw Food Chef School Nicaragua is based on the Island of Ometepe, Nicaragua at a place called La Vida Bonita. It’s a brand new place, circa 2022 where in fact, we are still in the middle of building our dream kitchen! We will be ready to host our program in 2026.

Our January & November 2025 Programs will be held at Om Island Retreats.

In January 2026, we transition to the new location. We are a school and students stay off-site during the 4-week program. There are many hotels, hostels and beautiful airbnb rentals around the neighborhood within walking distance. It’s just like school. You arrive in the morning and go to your ‘home away from home’ at the end of the day. Before you register for the program, contact us directly so we can help coordinate your stay at a location of your choice.

You enjoy what we do and wanna stay up to date with our new products, contents & promotions?

We encourage you to follow us on Instagram by clicking this link here.

By following this link, You can also find our new E-book Tropical Treats & Savory Eats, it contains 3 days of nourishing raw vegan meals from the tropics.