Hi. I’m Danielle. I am the author, photographer and recipe developer behind The Lean Clean Eating Machine.

I guess you could call me somewhat of a food snob, but not for the reasons you may think. I take what I eat pretty seriously, mostly because I know how much better I feel when I’m eating whole and organic, quality foods, and who doesn’t want to feel their best 100% of the time?

Beyond wanting to feel great, I also suffer from quite a few food allergies. These particular allergies require me to be even more careful with what I eat, which means that I am also big on preparing my own meals. It’s hard to know what goes into your food unless you make it yourself, but thankfully, I love to cook. It is truly my passion, and I love nothing more than being able to create delicious, all-natural variations of my all time favorite foods, that are not only allergen friendly, but also lighter and healthier.

While I treat my body with the utmost respect today, I haven’t always been this diligent in my efforts.

At the end of 2011, I vowed to make a change in my relationship with food. For years I had jumped from diet to diet, looking for something that would stick, but always resorted back to my old habits of not enough sleep, too much wine and easily accessible processed foods. I constantly felt terrible. I was always tired, always hungry, and always feeling pretty blah in general. I knew that this wasn’t the lifestyle I wanted for myself, but at the time, I was 23 years old, working in a bar and going to school full time, so it wasn’t the easiest transition to make. I knew that in order to become the person I wanted to be, I needed to get out, get active, and start to look at food as fuel for my body rather than a cure for boredom.

Through a little soul searching and a lot of ambition to become both healthier and happier, I find myself today feeling better than I have ever felt before. I got out of the bar, stopped drinking (as much), quit caffeine, cigarettes and any other vices that hindered me from becoming my absolute best. It wasn’t an easy road in the beginning, but I have a wonderful husband named Ben who has supported me every step of the way.





 Since the start of this blog 5 years ago, quite a bit has changed. I became a mother to two beautiful kids who keep me on my toes. My daughter Livia is about to turn 3 years old at the end of June, and my son Easton was born at the end of January, 2018.  They motivate me to be the best version of myself, and I try to keep healthy so I can set a good example for them (and also so I can keep up!).


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I ventured out to start this blog because I feel that diets are a four-letter word, and that we shouldn’t have to make sacrifices when it comes to the foods we love. I think most of us want to eat healthy, but don’t for various reasons. For one, we don’t want to break the bank with our grocery list. Organic food, or even healthy food in general, can seem scarily expensive in comparison to its’ counterparts, especially if you’re looking to feed an entire family. Secondly, it takes a lot of trial and error in the kitchen that most people don’t have time for. No one wants to spend money on ingredients that they aren’t sure what to do with. We all have busy enough lives without the added stress of meal planning, and there is no need to complicate things any more than they already are. My goal is to take the stress off your plate (literally) by giving you delicious, budget friendly recipes that your family will not only eat, but actually enjoy.

At The Lean Clean Eating Machine, every recipe I post will be both healthy and full of flavor. I don’t believe in eating lackluster food and I wouldn’t expect you to eat it either. My philosophy with food is to eat clean and eat well, and by cooking your own meals, you will see that it isn’t too difficult to have the best of both worlds.

18 comments on ABOUT

  1. Shawn Jackson
    March 18, 2014 at 9:43 am (10 years ago)

    Great site I found it on Pintrest via my girlfriend.. I will be preparing the Cauliflower Buffalo Bites for my Diabetes Prevention class i teach tonight. I want to try the Kung Pao Cauliflower as well… Thanks again for sharing :)

    Shawn

    Reply
    • Danielle
      March 18, 2014 at 10:25 am (10 years ago)

      Thanks for the compliment, Shawn! Hope the buffalo bites turn out well for you!

      Reply
  2. Patty
    April 12, 2014 at 8:43 am (10 years ago)

    Please keep these recipes coming! I too have recently made the change towards clean eating. Your recipes have been a lifesaver! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      April 12, 2014 at 9:10 am (10 years ago)

      Thank you so much, Patty!

      Reply
  3. Steve Smith
    May 9, 2014 at 6:43 pm (10 years ago)

    A search for healthier variations of buffalo chicken brought me here, and I’m glad to have found the site. After having a major change of eating habits forced upon me last year, I’ve discovered to my surprise (and happiness) that there is tastebud life beyond the burger and that some healthy fare is really to my liking. And so I’m excited to put your buffalo cauliflower on my “make this real soon” list.

    I’ve forwarded the site to my wife as well. I’m sure we’ll be keeping an eye on what you have going on. She’s always eaten much better than I have, but we’re still very much still exploring the world of really being aware of what goes into our bod

    –Steve Smith, HeartAttackComeback.com

    Reply
    • Danielle
      May 10, 2014 at 3:54 pm (10 years ago)

      Hi Steve, and welcome! I am glad to hear that you’re embracing the healthier lifestyle. Though it may have been initially forced, I can assure you that the changes you will feel both physically and mentally will be well worth it! Once people start exploring what’s out there, they quickly realize how many healthy options there actually are that don’t revolve around salads. I hope my recipes can be of help to you!

      Reply
  4. (Ms) Raj
    August 31, 2014 at 8:28 pm (10 years ago)

    I’m very happy to have come across your site when searching for healthy recipes (in this case, a moist turkey burger). I’ll continue to visit for more delicious healthy meals to make. I just recently re-joined the gym to reach a goal weight I’ve been striving to reach for years. It’s never too late to try! :) Thanks!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      September 1, 2014 at 8:02 am (10 years ago)

      Glad to have you here, and you are definitely right that it’s never too late to try! :)

      Reply
  5. Izzy
    January 11, 2015 at 4:27 pm (9 years ago)

    I am slowly transitioning to the vegan lifestyle (right now I am pescetarian) and I had just found this website through google, and I am in love!!
    Being a 17 year old with a part time job, it’s hard to get the money to eat how in would like too. but this website gives me meal choices and a simple grocery list for every week or so!!! Thank you so much!!!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      January 12, 2015 at 3:08 pm (9 years ago)

      Glad to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes, Izzy! :)

      Reply
  6. Jet Titus
    January 14, 2015 at 9:27 pm (9 years ago)

    I had Buffalo cauliflower at a local restaurant recently and it was fantastic. I was looking for a recipe and came across yours. I have to say, your recipe is even better! Loved it and will explore more.

    Reply
    • Danielle
      January 15, 2015 at 1:03 pm (9 years ago)

      Glad to hear that you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  7. Dedra
    February 28, 2015 at 3:45 pm (9 years ago)

    First of all I would like to say great blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you
    don’t mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing.
    I’ve had a tough time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out.
    I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas
    or tips? Appreciate it!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      March 2, 2015 at 2:40 pm (9 years ago)

      Hi Dedra!
      First of, thank you for the kind words on my blog! Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember because for me it feels therapeutic. I sometimes tend to over think things when I start writing, but I’ve realized that it is so much easier to just let your thoughts flow and worry about correcting the mistakes after. The best advice I can give is to just write out your thoughts as they come to you. Don’t try and make what your writing sound perfect from the get-go as there is always time to go back and correct. Best of luck to you!

      Reply
  8. lange Wimpern
    June 7, 2015 at 11:39 am (9 years ago)

    Hey there! I’ve been reading your blog for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you
    a shout out from Austin Texas! Just wanted to mention keep
    up the great work!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      June 17, 2015 at 12:39 pm (9 years ago)

      Thank you, and hello!

      Reply
  9. seks
    June 8, 2015 at 6:03 pm (9 years ago)

    Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your blog?
    My blog is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my
    users would really benefit from a lot of the information you provide here.
    Please let me know if this alright with you.
    Cheers!

    Reply
    • Danielle
      June 17, 2015 at 12:39 pm (9 years ago)

      As long as you credit my writing and link back to my original article, I don’t see a problem. Thank you for asking :)

      Reply

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