Amanda Smith

An impassioned leader and role model in the local community, Amanda dedicates herself to improving health and nutrition awareness on the island of Kaua’i. She is devoted to sharing her vision of sustainable, healthy cooking practices with the local children and families through school programs, private lessons, social media, and public speaking events, as well as television, radio, and podcast appearances.

Amanda’s natural charisma, poise under pressure, strength of character, and belief in herself and her Menehune Chef program recently led to her being selected to the prestigious Ms. United States – 2019 title. This tremendous honor is providing her a larger platform to be able to share her passion on a global scale, and expand the number of families that she is able to help through Menehune Chef.

Amanda discovered her love for food and interest in nutrition at a young age, quickly developing a skill set in cooking and recipe-writing that would provide the foundation for success as an entrepreneur in the field of her passion. Amanda added a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hawai’i to provide the remaining skills necessary to create, develop, facilitate, and enhance a first-rate culinary and nutrition education program.

Amanda continuously strives to improve and expand on the Menehune Chef program curriculum, staying current on health issues and expanding into areas such as life-skills after identifying a need in her students.

The Menehune Chef team was designed to be able to scale globally, and educate local communities all over the world on how to best find and utilize locally-sourced food, enjoy shared values of family connection, and expand youth engagement.

Amanda is the proud mother of two beautiful children, and currently resides in Kapaa, HI. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at various charitable events around the island, as well as hiking, snorkeling, and surfing.