Hey — We're Olivia & Lucas 🌱
The two people behind every recipe, every ingredient list, and every "trust me, you won't miss the cheese" moment on Fresh Roots.
How Fresh Roots Started
It started as a challenge. In January 2022, Olivia decided to go fully plant-based for one month. Lucas — a self-described "steak and eggs guy" — agreed to join as moral support (and honestly, because he lost a bet). By the end of that month, something unexpected happened: they both felt incredible, and the food they were making together was genuinely delicious.
The one-month challenge turned into three months, then six. They started documenting recipes in a shared notebook — scribbled measurements, ingredient swaps, notes like "needs more garlic" (always more garlic). Friends kept asking for the recipes, so they started a simple blog. That blog became Fresh Roots.
Meet Olivia
Olivia is a registered dietitian based in Portland, Oregon. She specializes in plant-based nutrition and has spent years studying how whole foods impact energy, gut health, and long-term wellness. She's the one behind the nutrition-focused content — making sure every recipe delivers real sustenance, not just pretty photos. When she's not in the kitchen, she's hiking Forest Park trails, browsing the Saturday farmers market, or convincing Lucas that yes, cashew cream really does taste like the real thing.
Meet Lucas
Lucas is a food photographer and home cook who never went to culinary school — and that's the point. He develops recipes that are approachable, forgiving, and don't require a pantry full of obscure ingredients. His specialty is turning comfort food classics into satisfying plant-based versions: creamy pastas, loaded tacos, hearty stews, the kind of food you actually want to eat on a Tuesday night. He handles the photography, the video content, and the "let me taste that one more time" quality control.
What We Believe
- Plants can be exciting. Vegan food doesn't have to be boring salads and plain tofu. We're here to prove that.
- Simple wins. If a recipe needs 25 ingredients and 3 hours, it's not making it onto this site.
- No perfection required. Overcooked the onions? Added too much cumin? It still counts. Cooking should be fun, not stressful.
- Everyone's welcome. Whether you're fully vegan, just curious, or feeding a picky family — there's something here for you.
Outside the Kitchen
When they're not recipe testing, Olivia and Lucas spend their time exploring the Pacific Northwest — weekend camping trips, farmers market hauls, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants that Lucas insists are "basically family." They also volunteer at a local community garden that donates produce to food banks, which is partly what inspired the name Fresh Roots: good food, grown from good intentions.
Have a recipe request, question, or just want to say hi?
Drop us a message on our Contact page — we read every single one. 💚