About

Hi! I'm Cassie Johnston.

I'm the founder and creative director of Wholefully®. I've had a spatula in my hand since I was a preschooler, and food has defined my career and my life ever since. I'm a professional caterer, personal chef, and cookbook author. Wholefully is where I share my nearly 1,000 kitchen-tested, family-approved healthy recipes.

Cassie Johnston smiles in a teal shirt while standing at a table with meal prep containers stacked high in front of her.

Why you can trust my recipes:

  • 15+ years recipe development, food writing, catering, and personal chef experience
  • Author of three cookbooks-Cooking with Greek Yogurt (WW Norton, 2012), Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My! (WW Norton, 2013), and Gifts in Jars (Zest Media Co., 2024).
  • Developed recipes for major brands like Meijer, Crock-Pot, Ball Canning, Ziploc, Dave's Killer Bread, Rubbermaid, Anytime Fitness, Chobani, and Blue Diamond
  • Work has been published in major publications and websites like Bon Appétit, BBC, Forbes, Self, Shape, Country Living, CNN, NBC News, The New York Times, and Good Housekeeping.
  • Culinary Arts Coursework (Ivy Tech State College, 2011)
  • Nutritionist Certification (AFPA, 2017)
  • Health Coach Certification (AFPA, 2017)
  • Journalism and Graphic Design Degree (Indiana University, 2005)
Wholefully Media Appearance Logos: NBC, CNN, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, BuzzFeed, Muscle & Fitness, Prevention, LifeHacker, Mashable, Apartment Therapy, Business Insider, Food52

What you'll find on Wholefully:

Collage for four images: Cassie standing in front of her craft fair booth, canned peaches and tomatoes on a dining room table, a garden with raised beds, Cassie standing in front of a pink and white race car

Get to know me:

  • I'm a born-and-bread Hoosier. I live on a small homestead in rural Indiana with my daughter, husband, and way too many animals!
  • I'm a Master Gardener, and I love organic gardening! I'm a big vegetable, fruit, and herb gardener, and many of the recipes I've created here on Wholefully feature produce harvested right from my own back yard.
  • I am an herbalist and run a small herbal remedies company called Sassafras Apothecarie, selling salves, teas, and tonics.
  • I'm an expert canner and food preserver, and I love to share my canning recipes so everyone can learn the joy of putting up your own food.
  • In my free time, my favorite thing to do is watch race cars! I've been an IndyCar fan since I first went to the Indianapolis 500 in 1994. Most summers you'll find my family traveling around the country in our camper heading to IndyCar and IMSA race tracks.

Wholefully in the News Lately:

Cassie's Awards:

Meet the Wholefully Team

Cassie Johnston stands in her white kitchen smiling as she holds a cut avocado. She's wearing a gray avocado shirt and jeans.

Cassie Johnston // Founder and Creative Director

Cassie is a holistic nutritionist, cookbook author, and all-around food lover. She grew up cooking dinner with her parents every evening, and her passion for home cooking has been strong ever since. Cassie is the author of three published cookbooks (Cooking with Greek Yogurt, Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My!, and Gifts in Jars) and dozens of recipes published in major magazines and newspapers. Cassie has been sharing her award-winning recipes on Wholefully since 2010. She loves dark chocolate, homegrown tomatoes, colorful hair dye, motorsports, and anything that sparkles. She lives in Indiana with her family on a small homestead.

Julie Grice // Chief Operating Officer

Julie got her start as a food writer in 2009 while she was earning a degree in food science and engineering. She spent several years as a food writer and recipe developer before transitioning to working exclusively for Wholefully in 2016. She loves reading, crafting, color, red pandas, and a good jumpsuit or romper. Julie lives in the Twin Cities with her family.