Hi! I’m so happy you stopped by!
My name is Michele and I’m the creator of Paleo Running Momma – a website dedicated to bringing you the most delicious paleo friendly meals and desserts.
When I changed my diet in 2013, I started searching the internet for tips, recipes, and other people’s stories that resonated with my own. The amount of resources and incredible people I found inspired me to create this blog. It was time for me to give back and share experiences, mistakes, successes and failures as I learned to cook and eat real, whole, delicious food and make it work for me as a runner, too.
I started eating paleo for some really unoriginal reasons – to address longstanding digestive problems (IBS), help myself heal from a painful running injury, and finally drop my diet coke and cereal habits (trust me – it was time!)
When I started getting serious about healing my body, I began by going “gluten free”, but quickly realized there was more than just gluten that could be in my way. I learned that by eliminating processed foods, grains and refined sugar from my diet, I could potentially improve not only my IBS and tendinitis, but my overall health – physical and mental – as well as become a stronger athlete.
After I completed my first Whole30, I was hooked!
I was able to figure out what foods I tolerated best and which ones I struggled with.
While I don’t eat 100% paleo (I get asked this a lot!) it’s more of a guideline for how I cook and eat generally.
Now, I’m here to share what I’ve learned about food, specifically, how to create truly delicious paleo and Whole30 meals, grain free baked goods and real-food desserts that you and your families will legitimately crave and want to eat on the regular! You’ll find loads of real-life recipes for all occasions that your brain will love as much as your body does!
Fun Facts About Me
1.) When I started this blog I was obsessed with long distance running (to put it mildly!) and (secretly) wanted paleo to turn me into a superwoman-style runner.
While I DID qualify for and run the Boston Marathon twice (2014 and 2016) it wasn’t thanks to a paleo diet – in fact, I qualified for Boston the first time while eating a SAD diet and the second time on Paleo.
That said, I believe you can absolutely run well (and long distances) while eating a paleo diet! I did this for about 2 years before scaling back on my training and getting into yoga, which is what I do the most now!
2.) I have 3 kids – Diana, Emily, and Drew. I’ve always gotten lots of questions about whether or not the kids eat paleo – the answer is yes and no! They eat the dinners I cook for them, but, aside from that I don’t put restrictions on them since I found it wasn’t mentally healthy for any of us! Truthfully, my kids do not have medical conditions that require them to eat strictly paleo, so, I take a moderate approach to what they eat and we’re all pretty happy this way.
3.) The first thing I ever tried to “cook” by myself was peanut butter at the age of 4. My “recipe” involved peanuts, some aluminum foil and a hammer. Needless to say, it didn’t work, but little did I know I was actually on the right track! If only I’d had a food processor – my nut butter dreams could’ve come true!
4.) The first thing I ever cooked on the stovetop was bacon. I almost get emotional when I think about it 😉 Oh if only I’d known how that moment would shape my future! Now, I’m about my bacon and basically only eat the sugar-free Whole30 friendly variety from U.S. Wellness Meats. This stuff is AMAZING! My family goes wild over it.
5.) Comfort food is my jam. Seriously, I don’t really think “emotional eating” is such a bad thing, especially if you’re eating delicious REAL food that makes your body, mind and soul happy!
All the recipes I post are ones that I’m EXCITED to eat and genuinely make me happy. I cover everything from breakfast to dessert (in fact, those two are my favorites!) including lots of Whole30 friendly family favorites. My goal for this website is to introduce you all to new favorites that truly make you happy to eat Paleo style! Paleo comfort food for life!
6.) I have a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and worked as a social worker for 3 years before deciding to stay home full time to raise my kids. I had NO idea what a blog was at that time, and always planned to head back to work when my youngest started kindergarten.
I started this site 100% as an outlet, not with a business in mind, but when the time rolled around, I realized I felt so much more passion for creating recipes for Paleo Running Momma than for returning to my old career. I gave it a shot and put all my efforts into growing this blog, which meant learning a lot from scratch. The decision did not come easy, but I couldn’t be happier with where I am now!
If you have a question or would like to personally contact me, you can email me at the following address:
paleorunningmomma @ gmail . com
I am so excited that I found your blog! I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and need to change my diet to be gluten free and dairy free. Both are things that I have always loved to eat. Your recipes look so practical for a mom of 4 and delicious! We tried our first one tonight, Chorizo sweet potato chili… it is THE BEST chili I have vet had!! Thank you!
Welcome, and I’m so glad you liked the chili! Hope you try a few more and enjoy 🙂
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Hi, Michele! I found you through Whole 30 Recipes on IG and I LOVE your recipes. The Salsbury Steak Meatballs and Chicken Chili are now a staple in our home (I made them both twice in two weeks)! The fact that you love comfort food is what makes me adore your recipes and blog. We just finished up our 3rd W30 and I’m now dipping into your dessert recipes! ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THOSE?! They make me want to lick my phone screen and I now talk about your recipes incessantly and share links. Thanks for doing what you do! You make the W30/Paleo life so much more enjoyable!
Hi! Glad you’re enjoying a few of the Whole30 recipes! They’re my dinner staples, while the treats are just lots of fun 🙂 Hope you try some of those too and enjoy. And YESSS to comfort food!
OMG! Michele, you are a Paleo Goddess! I love baking first, cooking second. I started crossfit during the summer, which I had to follow a paleo diet. I first found your Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream recipe, that I made into popsicles. I loved them and they passed the husband test. I made them a few more times, then while searching for some other recipe your page came up. I don’t remember what I made, but I loved enough to search more on your site. Everything I’ve made has been delicious! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Any thoughts on a recipe book in the near future?
Hey! Thank you! So happy you’re enjoying the recipes! No recipe book yet, I hope to do one in the near-ish future though. Thanks for reaching out – it’s great to hear the blog makes a difference for people 🙂
I love this blog! I just started to dabble w Whole 30 and Paleo recipes and cant believe how much I’ve enjoyed it – my family too. I love to cook and feel like I’ve always offered my family healthy options. Once I stared to really understand Paleo and Whole30 I realized that while we were eating well, there were certainly aspects that could be altered. Your blog has offered so many incredible options!!! Thank you!!! And you are so beautiful too and have a lovely family !
I’ve recently come across your biog through Pinterest and I love it! Thank you so much for the time and energy to you put into sharing your talents with the world! It is greatly appreciated 🙂
I’m half-way through my first Whole30 and loved following your instagram takeover. I’m starting to think about how I want to approach my regular eating habits post challenge and am so far loving the idea of starting off at least 2/3 paleo. I love your website, recipes, and blogging so much and look forward to using it as a resource to transforming my food freedom! Thanks so much for sharing your passion and taking the time,energy, and effort to make this all available to the world!
I have flipped and flopped with my diet for many many many years and can’t seem to find one that works for me. I’m doing a running challenge this year with some family members, I have weight loss goals and to be more healthy. I have eyed your Blog now for a while and would love to try some of your recipes so this week I’m making my food menu using your recipes and will post them on my personal blog to share with others. I’m ready for a change and need to do this for me. I know a few others who have done the Whole30 and Paleo and loved them both. My biggest and hardest part will be the sugar, I have a huge sweet tooth but what I’m doing is not working and it’s time to change. I’m hoping with cleaning up my diet and running more regularly I will start to feel much better. I’m very excited to look through your blog and check out your recipes. Thank you for sharing your story with all us!
Sugar is a tough one! If you’re really looking to kick the sugar habit, Whole30 really, really helps. There’s no added sugar of any kind (natural sugar in foods is fine) and by the end your tastes really change. Good luck to you, and hope you enjoy a few recipes on the site!
I so feel for Chantelle, I too, have issues with sugar, This month I have tried the Whole30, I got to half way and this weekend I failed. I have to start all over from day 1. I will say, it works!!! You don’t notice it working until you fumble, my joints hurt again, I have terrible heart burn again, bloating, and discouragement again. I am afraid to check the scales. I have many health issues because of my eating habits. I am looking forward in trying your rec. I have grabbed some rec. on pinterest, but not enough to sustain me. I have gotten board of my breakfast choices. My goal is to finish the Whole30 and bring in food groups to find out what bothers me. Then bring in the Paleo diet. I am so looking forward in trying your recipes. You seem to have many choices. Thank you Michele for sharing, I am looking for the new me. You can’t change without the change and it has to begin somewhere. I think I have found it. Pray and good real food is my answer. Looking forward to your post.
Hope you enjoy the recipes and good luck!
Hello, I’m glad to be part of your tribe… I am on Whole30 and it looks like you have some recipes I can use. Congrats, on a successful blog. I am glad there are people like yourself who can help people like me… lost and needing direction.
I look forward to hearing from you.
p.s. You have a nice looking family.
Hope you enjoy many of the recipes! Welcome!
ever think about a cookbook? The onlines recipes are great- but a hard copy would be so convenient for the kitchen!
Just stumbled on your blog the other day and I wanted to say thank you(!!!) for getting my husband and I through the last week of our Whole30 with some seriously great meals. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. They are speaking to my foodie heart for sure. And your food photography is absolutely gorgeous!
From one momma of littles to another… thank you! 🙂