Since becoming a mom I have become quite passionate about hunting down healthy prepared snack options....not only for my own children but for yours, because I know how busy life can get. And I totally understand wanting to have easy-to-grab items for your kid that they will actually eat and enjoy AND that you'll feel good about giving them. I have personally tested and eaten all of these products myself, and happily offer them to my toddler whenever he asks. I say YES to supporting these brands who are changing the food scene for the better! Check them out! 

FoodNerd! How much can I rave about one product?! One bag of foodnerd puffs contains 100% of the fruits and vegetables your little one needs in a day: 100%! They are truly far superior to any other puffs on the market. I give a bag to my toddler every day. Truly feel every child should be eating these.  

You can order yours here: FoodNerd Puffs with Coupon Olivia10 to save 20% off your order.

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I often get asked where I shop and how I find good deals on quality fruits and vegetables. Where I shop and what I buy depends on where I’m living or visiting at any given time. Availability, variety and cost varies depending on location. But here are a few of the methods and tips I use: ⁣
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1) Discount grocery stores. These don’t exist everywhere, but here in central PA there’s a whole bunch of them—basically stores that sell the overflow or abundance they receive from chain grocers. Think a second hand clothing store--but for food. 

2) If you don't have a discount grocery store near you, the next best option is somewhere like Aldi, or a Grocery outlet--even somewhere like Walmart--these are places where you can get cheaper-than-Whole Foods-options. If I'm on a budget (which I always am to one degree or another) I never buy all my produce at Whole Foods. I use Whole Foods to supplement--to get those items I can't get at other, more affordable stores. If I do shop at Whole Foods, its al...

Ok, don't be intimidated--you can sprout! 

I'm just like you. I see people on social media with their trays of soil and wonderfully colorful varieties of sprouts and microgreens and I think "that looks complicated. I'd definitely mess that up."

But here's the thing--some things are incredibly easy to sprout. They take VERY little work or skill and they yield tasty and nutritious sprouts in just 2 days. 

So this is my advice if you're intimated or unsure where to begin: Lentils & Mung Beans.

I've found these two options to be the easiest, fastest, and least-space-consuming seeds to begin with. 

So here's what you need: a bag of mung beans. You can find dried mung beans at most Asian grocery stores, or some international aisles in grocery stores, or--of course--you can order online. Same with lentils, dried lentils (green or black), are easy to find in most grocery stores, Asian markets, or for sure online. 

Also, a mason jar--or really any glass jar will work. 

Start by pouring a...

In January of 2017 I was studying abroad in Israel. I was told NOT to drink the tap water OR brush my teeth with it, and to carefully wash all the fruits and vegetables I ate.

Well—I did none of those things. And within several days of being there my neck started getting all blotchy and I was developing a severe rash.

Within a matter of just a couple more days I knew something was seriously wrong. My digestion was terrible. I was bloated to the max and my whole body had such an unbearable rash. I was so itchy and uncomfortable any place other than soaking in the bathtub. It was also so bad I was embarrassed to wear anything other than a sweatshirt so no one could see my skin.

Things continued to get worse for many months, and by April of that year I noticed a large bulge in the bottom right side of my abdomen—which I eventually realized was the home of my parasite.

I was miserable, tired, and unhappy—to say the least. And desperate to get the parasite out. I had very little energy, always ...