November 16th, 2021

The Power of Video:
Actress Julia Lehman’s
Collaboration with One for Health

One for Health knew they had to take action as the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting the country in 2020. Thanks to help and support from Julia Lehman, an actress and cooking enthusiast, One for Health was able to continue helping children across the country virtually.

In collaboration with One for Health, Lehman worked to create “Julia with Child” cooking videos. She was pregnant at the time – which inspired the video series’ name – and had more time to spend at home cooking. As an actress, being on camera was natural and fun for her, too.

When co-founder Bruce Campelia approached Lehman with the idea, she took it up on a whim. 

“We thought it'd be fun to play around with some cooking videos and see how they went,” Lehman said. “It ended up being really fun, and something I enjoyed and something that worked for what they were looking for.”

Lehman grew up in Minnesota, but has lived in the L.A. area ever since attending college at University of Southern California. She knew she wanted to be in the entertainment industry, and has made a name for herself through various pursuits.

Lehman has an impressive roster of accomplishments, with appearances in staple shows like Modern Family, a slate of commercials and short-films, and even a few production roles. 

Though her career has been in acting, Lehman has always enjoyed cooking, so the idea of making healthy choices resonated with her deeply. Creating these videos was a fun way to show off some of the recipes she has been making for years.

“I really tried to focus on creating recipes that were both nutritious but also cost effective, while also being flexible,” Lehman said. “There's a way to learn about eating healthy while also enjoying what you're making.”

Her videos are meant to show kids and adults that healthy eating doesn’t have to be pricey or hard. 

“I think there's an idea with nutrition that you have to eat a lettuce leaf and a soybean, and we want to show them that is not the case,” she said.

Many of her recipes use widely available and affordable foods, like canned tuna, yogurt, and more. 

Beyond affordability, Lehman wanted to also show viewers that they can adopt a healthier diet without making drastic changes. She discussed the idea of making ‘swaps’ to facilitate a better diet – something she does in her own life.

“I've always been into nutrition and trying to figure out how to swap things out in recipes that I like to make them healthier,” Lehman explained. “For instance, using cauliflower rice instead of regular rice, or wheat flour and almond flour instead of white flour. That's just always something I've played with in my own cooking.”

In addition to sharing her own passion for healthy cooking and eating, Lehman finds fulfillment in the fact that the kids viewing these videos can share the valuable information they’re learning.

“I also love the idea of these kids getting their brother or sister or an adult in their house and doing these recipes together,” Lehman said. “The kid is now showing them, ‘Hey, look, I can make this thing for the family.’”

Even as the nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, there may still be more videos on the horizon for Lehman. Though she’s had her baby and is back to acting on a more regular basis, her time with One for Health is far from over.

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