Unsatisfied with the so-called “healthy” snack options on the market for kids, Lisa didn’t just shrug her shoulders and throw her hands in the air. Instead, she took action and created a line of quick, healthy snacks that provide kids with a burst of energy without the crash that comes after eating a lot of sugar and processed starch.

For more on Lisa and the inspiration behind YummyHealth as well as thoughts on balance, procrastination and turning a passion into a business, keep reading!

Have you ever woken up one day with the realization that maybe you don’t feel as good as you could?

Tired of weird stomach issues and feeling bloated and zapped of all energy, I took to the internet one day searching for books about healing yourself through your food choices. I poked around for awhile before putting six or seven of them on hold at my local library, determined to make a change.

While all of the books were interesting, I was totally pulled in by Alejandro Junger’s Clean and its message of restoring your body’s ability to heal itself by getting rid of inflammation and toxicity. The more I read, the more I nodded my head. I’ve experienced so many of the symptoms discussed in the book and couldn’t think of a good reason not to give his 21-day cleanse a try—especially since I could do it and be done in time to indulge in a big, fat brownie on my birthday. 😉

Now, this isn’t one of those hardcore starvation cleanses. It’s really just an elimination diet (which removes a lot of the foods that cause inflammation) combined with a cleanse that aids digestion—basically, you have a liquid breakfast and dinner (which can be a smoothie, green juice or soup).

Being a relatively clean eater in the first place, I didn’t expect to have too much trouble—although I was afraid of my sweet tooth and tendency to closet binge when stressed. I kept a diary to track my progress and any changes I felt and thought I’d share it with you guys in case you have toyed with the idea of doing something similar.

Warning: I’m going way out on a limb here and sharing detailed statistics (both pounds and inches) and before and after photos. Be gentle. 

Before I even get started on this post, I want to make it clear that I’m not telling everyone they should run off and live a gluten free life. It’s not easy to go gluten free (the stuff is in everything from bread and some cheese products to soy sauce and salad dressing) and if you don’t have an issue digesting it, there’s no reason to go crazy and remove it completely.

That said, going gluten free does remove a lot of crap from your diet—but mostly because you eat more clean. Most of the recipes I’ve included here don’t require you to go out and buy expensive gluten free substitutes (which are sometimes loaded with sugar). It’s a lot of real, whole foods that will fill your belly without feeling bad about what you eat.

It’s no secret that I rarely cook. I’m not very good at it, which frustrates me and only makes my feeble attempts at culinary excellence infinitely worse. My husband, on the other hand, enjoys cooking and happens to be way more talented at anything kitchen-related (except for washing dishes. He totally sucks at washing dishes—probably on purpose).

So when I do actually cook something, it should come as no surprise that it is always an insanely easy something (see: zucchini pasta). My latest obsession? Portabello pizza.

You know how I said September always feel like January to me? Well it’s not just clean notebooks and cute office supplies that I’m looking for. I’m also looking to break any bad habits we’ve slipped into over the course of the summer—like over indulging in deliciousness.

At the start of the summer I was all gung ho about getting into a healthy eating routine for both myself and the girls. Well, a few too many lunches out and froyo treats side railed that just a teeeeeny bit (and by teeny bit I mean a lot).

I really want to flush the processed foods out of our lives. At least mostly. Mac and cheese is probably here to stay, no matter how hard I try. But if I can start by offering them after school snacks that are clean and healthy, I’m hoping it will slowly bleed into other mealtimes.

Here are twenty clean eating after school snacks that are totally doable with a little bit of preparation.