Today we’d like to introduce you to Yumna Jawad.
Hi Yumna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started sharing my food journey on Instagram back in 2013, but the truth is, I didn’t always know how to cook. When I first got married, I was working in marketing in the retail food industry, yet dinner still felt completely overwhelming. I was spoiled by a mom who was an incredible cook, so for a long time, my solution was stopping by her house after work to pick up food on my way home.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to learn how to cook the meals I grew up loving, especially the Lebanese classics my mom made feel so effortless and modern. So I started calling her and asking her to teach me one recipe at a time—over the phone. This was back in 2007, before FaceTime, but somehow we made it work. Those conversations gave me confidence in the kitchen and showed me that cooking didn’t have to be complicated to be good. Eventually when I had kids, I became even more passionate about learning how to cook nourishing meals for them which is when I started my Instagram account @feelgoodfoodie.
Feel Good Foodie is rooted in that experience. What started as a personal journey turned into a mission to help others get dinner on the table, even on the busiest days. I know firsthand how hard that can feel, and I also know it’s possible—with simple, reliable recipes and a little encouragement along the way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Building Feel Good Foodie has meant constantly being in “learning mode.” In the early years, I was doing everything myself, which meant teaching myself new skills on a regular basis—food photography, recipe development, SEO, writing, video, and eventually learning how to manage and lead a team. Even now, the learning never really stops; the digital landscape changes so quickly that it feels like every quarter brings a new skill to master or system to rethink.
Another ongoing challenge has been the inconsistency of revenue. A large part of recipe traffic depends on Google search, and algorithm updates can dramatically impact visibility overnight. On the social side, brand partnerships fluctuate from year to year based on budgets, trends, and platform priorities. Learning how to diversify income streams and not tie the health of the business to one platform has been a constant, and sometimes stressful struggle.
More recently, there’s been growing uncertainty around the future of search itself. AI overviews are taking up more space in recipe search results, which can reduce traffic even when your content is strong and well-tested. It’s pushed me to think differently about where and how I show up—focusing more on community, email, and direct connections with my audience—so the business isn’t fully dependent on algorithms I can’t control.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What I do: I create approachable, everyday recipes and resources that help busy home cooks get dinner on the table with less stress and more confidence.
What I specialize in: Simple, flavorful meals rooted in Mediterranean and Lebanese-inspired cooking, with a focus on weeknight-friendly and “healthy-ish” food.
What I’m known for: Clear, reliable recipes that actually work, and teaching cooking in a way that feels encouraging instead of intimidating.
What I’m most proud of: Publishing my cookbook, which brings my philosophy of simple, feel-good cooking to life in a tangible way.
What sets me apart: I teach from lived experience—learning to cook later in life—and design everything to feel realistic and doable for real life.
How do you define success?
I define success as building a community of home cooks who actually make my recipes, feel confident in the kitchen, and come back to tell me they loved them and shared them with their families.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://feelgoodfoodie.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feelgoodfoodie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feelgoodfoodie/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/feelgoodfoodie
- Twitter: https://x.com/feelgoodfoodie/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/feelgoodfoodie
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@feelgoodfoodie
