Anne Charbonneau, a professional musician born in Ottawa and raised in Casselman, has taken an unexpected path from the stage to the kitchen. After decades of performing, from producing francophone shows in Eastern Ontario during the late 1980s and 1990s to joining Cirque Éloize in Montréal and later Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, she is now channelling her creativity into food.
Since 2018, Charbonneau has been developing a passion project named “Creatively Delicious: Healthy Desserts Reinvented”. The book, currently crowdfunding until October 9, offers innovative dessert recipes made with lentils, designed to be healthy, allergy-friendly, and environmentally conscious. Alongside the recipes, it also features nature photography and practical anti-food waste tips under her initiative “Pause 4 Planet”.
The project has already attracted strong endorsements. Chef Mark Reinfeld of Vegan Fusion wrote the preface, while leading figures such as Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Cirque nutritionists, and Olympic athletes have also lent their support.
For Charbonneau, the book is deeply personal. Diagnosed with hypoglycemia as a young adult, she was forced to cut out sugar, dairy, and gluten from her diet.
“It’s not good news when you learn that,” she said. “But at the same time, I was dealing with fatigue crashes and other symptoms. It was clear that something had to change.”
One day, she woke up with the idea of using black lentils in her desserts. Experimentation led to innovation. Over time, she refined her recipes around two guiding principles: they must be healthy, and they must taste good.
She also kept in mind the variety of allergies and intolerances people face. “No matter what allergy you have, there are substitutes in each recipe,” she explained.
Her global touring experience gave her another perspective: North America’s massive food waste problem.
“Often, we throw away the most nutritious parts of fruits and vegetables,” she said. “So, I started developing recipes with the least possible waste.”
While Charbonneau recognizes her diet may be stricter than most would want to follow, her message is about taking small, achievable steps.
“As I tell people, you can eat better without eating like me. Big change starts with a small change, then another, then another.”
With her book, Charbonneau hopes to inspire readers not only to indulge in healthier desserts but also to rethink their relationship with food, health, and the planet.
As of Tuesday, September 30, she has raised over $8,700 (over $6,200 USD) out of her $20,874 ($15,000 USD) goal. People wishing to donate can find her campaign on www.indiegogo.com/projects/creatively-delicious-healthy-desserts-reinvented#/.
