FORMER MasterChef contestant and ex-Walkerston resident Sarah Todd's first cookbook is out on Monday.

"I've kind of been screaming inside for the last year because I've been working on it (the cookbook) for such a long time," she said.

"Last Christmas I was back in Mackay testing all of the recipes on my family.

"So now to finally have the book in my hands, it's a really nice feeling."

Ms Todd said one of the biggest questions she got asked was how she stayed slim while working in the food industry. "It's all about balance," she said. Ms Todd said all the recipes in the book were relatively quick but good and tasty.

"They all have a lot of flavour but they're not overwhelming at the same time," she said.

The former Walkerston resident has a restaurant in Goa, India called Antares.

She has filmed a television series for Fox Life, based in Goa and a six-part series on starting her restaurant will be shown on SBS in November.

Ms Todd's Healthy Model Cookbook is available from Booktopia.