Lia Ballentine Wants to Help You Be a Conscious (Snack) Consumer with Yumday

Lia Ballantine wants to help everyone snack for good with her new company, Yumday.

When I decided to launch the My Bloody Hell brand, my goal was to create a valuable resource and diverse community for women going through the menopause journey. And I knew that at its core, My Bloody Hell wasn’t just going to be about periods and hormones. I envision My Bloody Hell as a lifestyle brand for women stepping into their second stage of life. Perimenopause is what binds us, but we also have shared values around sisterhood, diversity and wanting to take charge of our health and well-being. That’s why I was so thrilled when Lia Ballentine, the founder of Yumday.co, a subscription snack box company, agreed to be My Bloody Hell’s founding sponsor.

Despite what some people might think, I’m not interested in partnering with any company willing to throw advertising dollars my way. If I don’t believe in a product and don’t believe it will add value to the lives of my community members, I’m walking the other way. Yumday, on the other hand, is a mission-driven company that specifically looks for snack and beverage brands led by women and people of color to use in their subscription snack boxes. The snacks are made from quality ingredients and are tasty too. What’s not to love?

But I want everyone to love Yumday as much as I do, and I want people to support this fledgling brand. So, I asked Lia Ballentine to talk to me about how she went from working in coporate communications in Hollywood, to launching a national snack box company…in the middle of a global pandemic! This is Lia’s story.

What was the Inspiration to Start Yumday?

Imagine this box of delicious snacks arriving on your doorstep every month. It’s the perfect idea for a holiday gift too!

Lia Ballentine:

Well, for starters, I love snacks!

I mean, I love food in general, but in 2020, my snacking hit an all-time high. My husband and I were working from home — like the rest of the world — and snack breaks were these moments when we could get away from our screens, meet up in the kitchen, and enjoy peaceful breaks in the day.

Snacks became our comfort food, but as much as we liked snacking, we didn’t want the same old chips, crackers, and granola bars.

Then on top of that, because we were in the early months of the pandemic, I couldn’t just browse the grocery stores or head over to any specialty markets to check out new snacks, epecially snacks that aligned with my tastes and my values.

And when I say “values,” I’m referring to my desire to find products that are woman- and minority-owned. I’ve been making an effort over the past few years to shop more consciously. I know the impact that my dollars can make, and if I can buy from a woman- or BIPOC-led brand, that’s what I’m going to do. So when it came to looking for new snacks to fill my pantry, I wanted to make sure that in addition to learning about the ingredients of the snacks, I wanted to know more about the producers — the people and missions behind the snacks.

All of this discovery and curation started out as a personal initiative for me. But over time, and through conversations with others, I realized that a lot of people wanted to try these new and unique snacks, too. And then one day it hit me! I could be that person to help snack lovers and conscious consumers find their new favorite treats from emerging and diverse brands.

And that’s how Yumday’s snack boxes and snack subscriptions were born!

Why Do You Prioritize Women and BIPOC Led Brands?

LB: I prioritize women and BIPOC-led brands because they deserve it, and they need to be seen. And this is personal to me as a Filipina immigrant. I want to show the world that people like me are leaders and creators. And with Yumday, I can do this in the snack space, which is a food category that is dominated by big corporate brands.

What’s more, trying to get shelf space at a major grocery store is tough. It can be expensive, and even if you get it, sometimes that can backfire for a newer food company. And really most grocery stores are just filled with products from bigger corporations, and it’s hard for emerging brands to get in — no matter how good or high quality their product is. But Yumday gives smaller brands an opportunity to connect with new customers in a more intimate and engaging way.

And from the consumer’s perspective, I know a lot of people are trying to shop more consciously, and I feel like Yumday helps point them in the right direction and gives them confidence in buying products from new, diverse producers that they may not have heard of before.

What Excites You About Building this Brand?

LB: There are so many things that excite me about Yumday. I love being introduced to new food producers who are doing innovative things in the snack space. For example, we have brands making upcycled snacks. These are makers who are taking ingredients that would have been food waste and turning them into delicious, nutrient dense treats. And I find this so inspiring and just really cool.

I also love being the person that can tell people about these snack leaders. I just think it’s awesome that I can share my enthusiasm for these snacks with everyone around me. You also know you can trust my snack recs because I do my research on the founders, connect with them, and I taste test everything to make sure it’s a fit with Yumday.

What’s in Store for the Future of Yumday?

LB: I can’t say for sure, but I am always open to whatever the universe has in store for me. I would love to see Yumday changing the way people discover and shop for food. I want to see Yumday expand its offerings with pantry staples and other ready-to-eat foods. I can also see Yumday going beyond the subscription model and transforming into a trusted marketplace with even more brand partners.

But no matter how much Yumday grows, or what direction it ends up taking with regards to the shopping experience or product offerings, it will always be a destination for people who want to shop according to what they value and we will always curate with intention.

Bonus Question: What Snacks from Yumday, Should Perimenopausal Women Sample?

LB: As I learned from the My Bloody Hell blog, perimonopausal women need cranberries!

I love cranberries, but I didn’t realize there were so many health benefits. Some of my favorite snacks that I carry are called Lupii bars, and my absolute favorite bar of theirs is the Tahini Lemon Cranberry Bar. (Our customers love this, so it actually sells out fast!) It’s a vegan bar that gets is protein from the lupini bean. The lupini bean is also high in fiber and considered heart healthy — so this bean, in combo with the cranberries, make the Lupii bar a really great snack for women in perimenopause.

And there you have it. Lia’s story. Doesn’t it just make you want to do some snacking for good with Yumday?

Happy Snacking!

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