My husband came home from work the other day excited to share with me a new veggie he had tried at his office salad bar.

"It's a cross between a pear and a potato," he told me, but I don't know the name."

My first suggestion for the Salad-a-Day Challenge is to make your own dressing. It's a simple way to jazz things up AND keep things healthy. Many bottled dressings are laced with sugar, corn syrup, preservatives, low-quality oils and other yucky ingredients. When you make your own dressing at home, you know exactly what's going into it, and you can alter it to fit your own personal tastes.

My homemade Larabar recipe was so popular a couple weeks ago that I thought I should post another snack bar recipe—and the timing was just right. My husband and I spent last weekend up in Maine and had every intention of heading out on one of our favorite hikes on Sunday.

I've been trying to eat as much raw as possible lately, which usually translates to lots of salads. It's easy to throw a bunch of chopped raw veggies and fruits into a big bowl, toss with a killer homemade dressing, and call it a lunch or dinner.

I'm not a huge fan of meal-replacement or snack bars—most are heavily processed with junky ingredients. Even the "healthy" ones are riddled with sketchy additives, isolates, and sweeteners.

I’m Erin Holt. I’m a holistic-minded nutritionist and yoga instructor. I couple my multifaceted education with personal experience to help others achieve optimal health. Having battled health issues in the past, I have seen firsthand how high quality food, a healthy lifestyle and a good attitude can work to reverse much of the disease that plagues us.