{"id":28458,"date":"2014-05-28T11:15:46","date_gmt":"2014-05-28T15:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=28458"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:06:24","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:06:24","slug":"nom-nom-paleo-michelle-tam-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/nom-nom-paleo-michelle-tam-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Nom Nom Paleo’s Michelle Tam on Food, Fitness and Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nom<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to be a caveman to enjoy the award-winning food blog Nom Nom Paleo<\/a>. From cauliflower fried \u201crice\u201d<\/a> to sausage egg \u201cmcmuffins,\u201d<\/a> there are plenty of delicious and inventive recipes to please everyone, no matter which diet you ascribe to. Michelle Tam, the muscle behind the website and author of the\u00a0New York Times<\/i> best-selling cookbook<\/a>\u00a0of the same name, wasn\u2019t always a culinary all-star, but has always considered herself a foodie, ranking dining out as No. 1 on her list of hobbies.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What is Paleo? Breaking Down the Paleo Diet Food List<\/a><\/p>\n

She discovered the paleo diet in 2010, and while it contradicted nearly everything she learned from her degree in nutrition and food science, she never turned back. Eating grass-fed meats, fresh fruit and vegetables \u2014 and avoiding grains, sugars, and dairy \u2014 not only got rid of her muffin-top for good, it fueled her with enough energy to wrangle two young boys, hold down a full-time graveyard shift, cook for her family, and sneak in muscle-ups at her CrossFit box \u2014 all while maintaining a daily blog.<\/p>\n

While Tam was in New York City to accept a Webby award for her iPad app<\/a>, we caught up with her to talk about all things paleo<\/a> \u2014 including the diet\u2019s unfortunate name \u2014 and how she balances her action-packed life.<\/p>\n

What is your food philosophy in a nutshell?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The food has to be insanely delicious and make me feel good afterward. Before I went paleo, I had a lot of gastrointestinal issues and I was always bloated and tired. After a couple months on paleo, it all went away.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

“I never buy new clothes and we drive cheapo Hondas, but I will pay for better food.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What made you want to try paleo?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

My husband Henry started it first and I thought he was crazy. I would always try to sabotage him, but then one day we were on a cruise and I was waiting in line at the buffet behind this guy sitting on a scooter with an oxygen tank attached to him. He was piling all kinds of low-sugar, 100-calorie pastries onto his plate and a light bulb went off in my head. I didn\u2019t want to end up like that. I decided at that moment to try the paleo diet and I became an evangelist. I\u2019m turning 40 this year and feel better than I did in my early 30s.<\/p>\n

What were the biggest challenges when you started out?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Cutting out bread and grains. I loved those things. I used to go to restaurants and get pasta tasting menus!<\/p>\n

Do you still crave those things?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

No, but I do have a sweet tooth, so I need my dark chocolate. Plus, I have severe gluten intolerance, so I just felt so much better cutting out grains altogether.<\/p>\n

\"Non
Photo: Asian Cauliflower Fried “Rice” \/ Nom Nom Paleo<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do you think that the paleo diet benefits some people, such as those with celiac disease, better than others?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Yes, and people with autoimmune diseases would also do really well on it. But it\u2019s an improvement for anyone on a standard American diet because if anything, paleo is about eating real food and cooking your own meals from real ingredients. No matter if you\u2019re paleo, vegan or omnivorous, cooking your own food and knowing where it comes from is just better for everybody.<\/p>\n

Have you customized the diet for yourself and your family?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

When I first started I was really low-carb but then I realized that I could allow myself a little bit. I eat root vegetables and some white rice and white potatoes, too, which for some people is an absolute no. I just like how they taste and they don\u2019t have any adverse effects on me. I\u2019m Asian so it\u2019s probably genetically coded in me that I can eat white rice. Of course I\u2019m more mindful of my portions now.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m blogging and making\u00a0action figures, so clearly I\u2019m not trying to do as the cavemen did.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When, if ever, would you make an exception and go off paleo for a meal?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

If it\u2019s worth it, we\u2019ll indulge, like dinner at\u00a0The French Laundry<\/a>. I also don\u2019t believe in making your grandmother feel bad for making you something like a beautiful cake, because I also know that I ate this way for 35 years and survived. Eating one bite is not going to kill me and it\u2019s not worth being a pain about it.<\/p>\n

Do you still have to defend yourself against naysayers?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I do get some comments on Facebook, but what\u2019s cool about Facebook is other people will jump in and fight for me. I\u2019m so grateful for them because I hate confrontation. But yes, food choices are very polarizing, just like politics or religion. It\u2019s very personal and people can feel threatened. I believe people should do what makes them feel good. I provide information for anyone interested, but I won\u2019t try to convert anybody.<\/p>\n

A major criticism of paleo is that it\u2019s expensive. How much is your grocery bill?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I spend a lot, and yes, an argument against paleo is that it\u2019s elitist and not everyone can afford it. But at the same time there\u2019s a lot of organic meat and vegetables<\/a> at places like Walmart and Costco now, and you can save by buying certain cuts of meat, like oxtail, shanks, brisket and chicken thighs. You can also prioritize what you spend money on. What\u2019s more important than what you put in your mouth? I never buy new clothes and we drive cheapo Hondas, but I will pay for better food.<\/p>\n

\"Nom
Photo: Nom Nom Paleo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paleo started out as a more intense caveman lifestyle kind of movement, giving critics so many easy targets. It\u2019s much more practical now but still has some stigma attached. If it were up to you, would you have chosen a different name?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think of paleo as a historical reenactment at all. I\u2019m blogging and making action figures<\/a>, so clearly I\u2019m not trying to do as the cavemen did. I was introduced to it as \u201cgoing back<\/a> to basics\u201d but I now consider it more as how my great grandmother ate. I\u2019m not eating bugs and hunks of rotting meat. As for the name, yes, of course I would have chosen something different. I mean, I love the name Nom Nom Paleo, but now \u201cnom nom\u201d is a totally hated phrase in the foodie community and \u201cpaleo\u201d is also super polarizing. Putting them together was just not a smart choice, but I have to embrace it now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“I never imagined I could deadlift my body weight, but it makes me think I\u2019m a better mom.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Any paleo myths you want to debunk?<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

That all we eat is bacon and meat. It\u2019s just not true. My plate is half vegetables, one-third meat (around six to eight ounces), and the rest is healthy fats and carbs. But I\u2019m never just eating a giant cowboy steak or piles of bacon.<\/p>\n

CrossFit and paleo often seem to go hand in hand. Do you do CrossFit?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019m an intermittent CrossFitter and we have all sorts of equipment in our garage, but I don\u2019t do it as often these days. I was totally scared to try it at first but I ended up feeling so much stronger than I thought I could ever be. I never imagined I could deadlift my body weight, but it makes me think I\u2019m a better mom, like I can protect them better.<\/p>\n

Tell me a little about your day job, or I guess, your night job.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I work nightshifts<\/a> at a teaching hospital as a pharmacist. I work seven 10-hour shifts in a row and then have the next seven nights off, which is when I\u2019m a full-time mom. It works because I have family close by and my husband is super supportive. Even the blog is a joint effort between Henry and I.<\/p>\n

With the success of your blog and now your cookbook and recent Webby win, what responsibility do you feel to your readers at this point? <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

I just want to continue making people laugh and provide great recipes and show them that it\u2019s doable. It doesn\u2019t need to be so strict, and in my book I talk about how to tackle some of the challenges.<\/p>\n

One of those challenges was whether to feed your kids a paleo diet, right?<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

Yeah, for a long time they weren\u2019t one hundred percent paleo and I was resistant to talk about it on my blog because it wasn\u2019t about them; it was about me. But then we began to slowly transition them and I started writing about the process because my readers were very interested.<\/p>\n

How do you even approach that topic with the kids? <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

They\u2019re six and nine years old, so we just talk about how we try to make healthy choices but you\u2019re your own person and you can make your own decisions. My youngest has some issues with gluten like I do, and I\u2019ll explain to him how he\u2019ll feel after he eats that cupcake. He\u2019ll think it over and decide for himself if it\u2019s worth it. He was very resistant to eat the same meals Henry and I ate, but I\u2019m not a short-order cook and eventually refused to make him his scrambled eggs and roasted broccoli. We all had to learn and compromise. As a result, 90 percent of the recipes in my cookbook are dishes my entire family enjoys.<\/p>\n

What are the kids\u2019 favorite dishes?<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

Owen, my older son, has a recipe in the cookbook called \u201cBig-O Burgers,\u201d which are made with saut\u00e9ed mushrooms and bacon. When you grill them, the bacon in the patties crisp up. Ollie loves Cracklin\u2019 Chicken<\/a>, which is boneless, skin-on chicken thighs fried up really crispy.<\/p>\n

Give the Big-O Bacon Burgers a try and get Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans<\/a> for more great-tasting paleo recipes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Big
Photo: Nom Nom Paleo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Big-O Bacon Burger Recipe<\/b><\/h3>\n

Serves 4
\nTotal time: 30 minutes\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/b><\/p>\n

2 tablespoons lard or fat of choice, divided
\n1\/2 pound cremini mushrooms, minced
\n4 ounces bacon, frozen and cross-cut into small pieces
\n1 pound ground beef
\n1 \u00bd teaspoons kosher salt
\nFreshly ground black pepper
\n1 ripe heirloom tomato, sliced
\n4 butter lettuce leaves<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/b><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the lard in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saut\u00e9 the cremini mushrooms until the liquid they release has cooked off; set aside.<\/li>\n
  2. Pulse the frozen bacon pieces in a food processor to the consistency of ground meat.<\/li>\n
  3. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bacon and cremini mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients, being careful not to overwork the meat. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and flatten each into \u00be-inch-thick patties.<\/li>\n
  4. Melt the remaining lard in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry up the patties, about 3 minutes per side. The insides should be pink all the way through and studded with crisp pieces of smoky bacon and mushrooms.<\/li>\n
  5. Transfer the patties to a wire rack to drain any excess cooking fat. Wrap each patty in sturdy lettuce leaves and serve with tomato slices. Or, if you’re looking for an alternative to hamburger buns, put your patty in between two roasted Portobello mushrooms<\/a> instead (pictured above).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Nom Nom Paleo\u2019s Michelle Tam dishes on feeding her health-conscious family, the evolution of the paleo diet and how CrossFit makes her a better mom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":28575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,18],"tags":[201,37,41,51,175,62,71,179,184,341,388],"class_list":["post-28458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-carbohydrates","tag-crossfit","tag-diets","tag-food-choices","tag-gluten-free","tag-interview","tag-nutrition","tag-paleo","tag-paleo-diet","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}