• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Plant Based Folk
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lebanese
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×

Home

ABOUT

2017 is when my diet changed after learning many things about our food thanks to the influence of a young family member who one day announced they were on a vegan diet.

My initial thought was a roll-your-eyeballs “Really?” little did I know there was a whole world of satisfaction off eating only plants.

My new “vegan” diet lasted six months and then I loosened up a little.

I yo-yo’d back and forth with adjusting my diet until I finally found what worked for me.

A female brunette dressed in black and an apron juggling lemons
Janelle - Founder of Plant Based Folk

This website receives a commission/fee for each purchase bought through the affiliate links on this website

Hi! I am Janelle, the Founder of Plant Based Folk and I am pumped you’re here. 

I’m a second generation Australian with a Lebanese background living in my birth-town Sydney, Australia.

I’ve always loved food; both cooking and eating.

As a teen (many moons ago) I gained my Diploma in Hospitality Management where I very much enjoyed and thrived in my cooking & recipe classes, however, I didn't pursue a career in the industry.

Fast forward a couple of decades and it's come full circle - I'm now sharing my passion for cooking through sharing my vegan recipes.

In my previous life, I was a Director of a niche specification marketing agency within the architectural building supplier sector for 15 years, as well as an Investor in a start-up (also within the same industry)

Whilst I still haven’t fully left this industry, my hopes is to one day move on completely, life is too short to stay doing the same thing.

When I am not in the kitchen, I am in the garden, amongst nature (foraging wild foods) going for a run/walk or having a good time with family and friends.

I’ve dedicated my blog to creating (or recreating) delicious plant based recipes, specialising in vegan Lebanese recipes.

Some of my favourites include;

Spiced pearl couscous called moghrabieh

Shorbat adas - Lebanese lentil soup

Batata harra - Lebanese spicy potatoes

Musabaha - creamy chickpea breakfast

Fasolia - Kidney bean stew Lebanese fasolia

No matter your diet, there’s a recipe for you on Plant Based Folk.

  • Sahlab Middle Eastern Sweetened Milk Drink (سحلب)
  • Tender Lebanese Squash With Burghul
  • Delicious Zucchini Insides Dip (Lib Koosa)
  • Easy Lentils and Pasta Soup (Rishta)
pita bread filled with mograbieh, pickles and parsley being wrapped by a male hand
Vegan Lebanese recipe of Moghrabieh

I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT AS TO HOW A PLANT BASED DIET HAS HELP ME.

I've thyroid issues.

Feb 2019, was a particularly bad time for me. My symptoms started a couple of years prior, experiencing a huge flair up of 'not-feeling-well' in early 2018 which gradually faded and I was able to resume life with random 'not-feeling-well' symptoms until Feb 2019.

I started experiencing chronic fatigue (some nights I'd sleep for 9 hours and wake up feeling as though I hadn't slept an hour) hair loss, brain fog, tinnitus, stomach pain, insomnia and the list goes on.

I saw several types of doctors, only to be told they didn't know what was wrong with me saying it might be 'auto-immune' (this has recently been ruled out). This is particularly hard to accept - the 'not knowing'.

My blood test showed my thyroid was experiencing border-line hormonal issues.

My doctor advised not to worry about it, at this point my thyroid was slightly bulging. I insisted on undergoing a check-up, which resulted in confirmation I had a couple of decent sized nodules and a goitre.

THIS CHANGED EVERYTHING.

A shift in my mindset meant I was paying closer attention to the foods I put in my body, playing a major role on how this affects my symptoms and my thyroid.

A plant based diet is helping me heal a majority of my symptoms. I could rant for a while about this, but let's get on with it, I'd rather not bore you... haha. You get the picture…

I have adopted cleansing into my life (every once in a while), this has been an amazing process. You can read my experience with cleansing here Advanced 3:6:9 Cleanse Review

raw nori rolls
Medical Medium Advanced 3:6:9 Cleanse Nori rolls

WHAT A PLANT BASED DIET MEANS TO ME?

Plant-based meals are paramount to me.

They offer high nutritional content and a wide variation in taste. I choose to eat foods that are made up of 99% plants, with a few foods here and there that may not be. I choose 'veganise' my meals.

I sometimes cook with/consume oils, (mostly olive oil and in minute quantities).

There are many types of definitions of what a plant based diet is. Some chose to be on a whole foods plant based, some incorporate a higher percentage of plants over eggs, dairy and meat.

I believe food is a language that all humans share and feel that recipes need be treasured and passed down to each generation, I know with being of Lebanese heritage, lots of traditional food recipes have been lost through the generations.

But I am on a mission to learn and adapt recipes to plant based where ever possible. Nothing compares to a home-cooked meal, the entire process is transparent - I know exactly what is going into my meal.

If you have a treasured recipe you’d like to share, please leave me a comment below. I would be honoured to recreate it, share it with the world and of course credit you. If you don’t have a recipe, I would still love to hear from you, even if it’s a simple hello from wherever in the world you are.

I’d like to end by leaving you with a couple of simple and satisfying recipes of yellow split pea dal and glass noodle salad. These meals I can count on for being quick, nutritious and delicious.

I hope to get to know you folk, and look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for stopping by.

Janelle xx

  • Smacked Spicy Cucumber Salad Without Soy Sauce
  • Easy Arabic Salad سلطة
  • Easy Carrot Cucumber Salad With Tahini Dressing
  • Easy Tomato and Onion Salad with Sumac


Let’s collaborate

I would love to work with you, whether you’re a brand, fellow food blogger or anything in between. Get in touch so we can get started. Some of the brands I’ve worked with include - San Remo, Pickld, Kitchen Warehouse, IKU Foods, Dhow Nature Foods and more.

lebanese lentil soup in a white bowl with a spoon

Primary Sidebar

A female brunette dressed in black and an apron juggling lemons

Heya, I'm Janelle! I've been a messy but delicious cook for a couple of decades now.

In the last few years, I've converted to a vegan diet and have fallen in love with the flavors that can be created from plants.

I specialize in vegan Lebanese food and I'm excited to share these amazing recipes with you.

Let's cook together!

More about me →

Recipes Not to Miss

  • How To Make Zaatar (Lebanese)
  • Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - الفتوش)
  • How To Cook Lupini Beans (Lebanese Termos)
  • Pearl Couscous - Lebanese Mograbieh
a yellow cup of coffee with text reading buy me a coffee

From The Blog

  • Medical Medium Advanced 3:6:9 Liver Rescue Cleanse - Review
  • 12 Vegan Egg Wash Substitutes
  • How to Wash Fruit & Vegetables.
  • How to Core Zucchini
  • Flodesk vs Mailchimp (For Food Bloggers)
  • 43 Vegan Roast Recipes (Lunch & Dinner Ideas)

PBF COOKBOOK MOCKUP

As Featured On

various logos where Plant Based Folk has been featured

Footer

^ back to top

About

Accessibility Policy
Blog
Contact
Cookies Policy
Disclosure
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy (GDPR)
Storefront
Terms of Use

Newsletter

Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

Work with me
Advertise

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Plant Based Folk