Maria Koutsogiannis

Founder & Creator of FoodByMaria

Feel‑good Mediterranean food rooted
in Greek tradition, made for real life.

Your Greek Mommy

Maria is the creator behind FoodByMaria, a feel‑good food space built on Mediterranean flavors, real ingredients, and zero guilt. Her recipes are rooted in Greek tradition and adapted for modern, busy lives, whether you’re powering through a workweek or pulling together dinner between school drop‑off and soccer practice.

For years, Maria downplayed her Greek identity until she realized being Greek is, in fact, a massive flex. Home of the Mediterranean Diet and some of the hardest-working people on the planet, Greece is the foundation of everything she creates.

Created with RNI Films app. Profile ‘Kodak Gold 200 v.5’

A group of six children sit around a table outdoors, smiling and raising glasses in a toast. The table is covered with a floral cloth, plates of food, and a large bottle of Pepsi. Lush greenery surrounds the scene.

Experience

Born Into the Kitchen
Maria doesn’t have formal culinary training (unless you count being raised Greek, surrounded by food 24/7). Cooking isn’t something she learned but it’s something she knows. It’s instinctive, emotional, and deeply tied to family, culture, and memories.

11+ Years of Recipe Creation & Food Storytelling
FoodByMaria started back in 2014 as a passion project and a way to heal a complicated relationship with food. What started as phone-shot photos and thrown-together meals has grown into an award-winning food brand and full-time career.

From Accounting to Kitchen Hustle
After 7 years studying Accounting and Finance, Maria pivoted hard when she realized numbers didn’t fire her up like cooking did, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Thoughtfully Tested, Always Delicious
FoodByMaria recipes are developed by a small but mighty recipe development team of four. Every Thursday starts with idea jams, chicken-scratch notes, and big dreams. Recipes are tested one to three times to land on the most drool-worthy version possible.

Quality You Can Taste
After years of sharing Mediterranean-inspired recipes, Maria realized that the oils and honeys out there often miss the mark on freshness and flavor. So, she partnered with growers in Greece to bottle products that reflect the bold, bright tastes of Greece. You can find her early-harvest olive oil, JUICE and raw pine honey (HUN-NEE) available here. Crafted with the same authenticity and quality she cooks with every day.

See Maria’s Recipes

Maria’s own products!

Juice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Hun-Nee

100% Raw Pine Honey

Shop the Range

Maria’s Mediterranean and Greek recipes are inspired by her family (her mama, her yia-yia and the generations before them). She’s not here to reinvent the wheel. Food is simple, we just like to overcomplicate it.

Inspired by Roots

Juice Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A jar of Hun-nee pine honey with bread, olives, and cheese.

Hun-nee Pure Pine Honey

Maria standing outdoors in a white dress.

The Fave Products

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Fun Facts

Peek into the creator of FoodByMaria.

Pantry staples Maria always has on hand: Lemon, good olive oil, Diamond Crystal salt, Better Than Bouillon, feta, oregano, sourdough bread, eggs, tomatoes, red onions, and high-quality frozen proteins.
Go-to weeknight meal: Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes with a Greek salad, tzatziki, and an unapologetic drizzle of juice (aka olive oil).
One Greek dish everyone should learn: Greek Lemon Rice Soup. If soup isn’t your thing, her Greek meat sauce is as close to yia-yia’s as it gets.
What “feel-good food” really means: Food with no rules or guilt, just flavors that spark memories, slow you down, and reconnect you to culture, comfort, and joy.