About Healthier Steps

My recipes are made with natural ingredients, they are all vegan and mostly gluten-free, free of refined sugars.

You can connect with me via email at hello@healthiersteps.com, Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Growing up in Jamaica, my mother was an exceptionally great cook. She not only prepared delicious Jamaican dishes but dishes from around the world, she was known in the community for her delicious dishes. I credit my mom for influencing me to be the cook I am today. As a child, I helped my mom to prepare various meals from scratch without using recipes.

I have since converted many of my childhood favorite recipes to be plant-based and gluten-free. I remember having roast turkey for Christmas dinner, which was very rare in Jamaica, but my dad worked for Shell company and would take home imported foods as gifts for the holiday.

Unfortunately, my mother passed away when I was 19 years old. Over 20 years later, on a visit to Jamaica, I visited my uncle who told me that my mother was a private chef before I was born.

I am amazed and delighted by how my mother’s culinary talents have shaped my passion for cooking. My early exposure to her delicious and diverse dishes sparked my interest in the art of food preparation.

I am dedicated to creating meals that are not only easy and quick to make but also packed with flavor. I firmly believe that good food should never be bland, and I strive to bring out the best in every dish. My cooking experiences come from my travels to Europe and the Caribbean, which have exposed me to a wide range of flavors and techniques.

I was also privileged to reside at a missionary college in Virginia for 10 1/2 years, where I actively sought out opportunities to entertain students from all over the world. I would enjoy researching dishes from their countries and creating vegan versions of them. The students were often amazed by my results, and on numerous occasions, they told me that my dish tasted even better than the original.

I’m a registered nurse and a certified Holistic Health Counselor, trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This training has equipped me to do cooking classes, health coaching, talks on health, and catering!

I’m also the author of Healthier Steps: 125 Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes. How To Reach Your Goals While Filtering Out Distractions, co-authored with my husband Devon, I also co-authored Comfort Soups and Stews: Indulgent Vegan And Gluten-Free Recipes with my daughter Devannah. 

My husband, Devon, is my best taste tester! I am a home-schooling mother of two beautiful children, my daughter Devannah is 25, and Daevyd, my son, is 13. I have dedicated my life to encouraging others to eat healthier, especially after my near-death experience following the delivery of my son. You will find recipes on my website that are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and free of refined sugars.

My work has been featured by, Smile Jamaica TV, MSN, Well And Good, Self, Delish, Taste Of Home, Parade Magazine, TasteSpotting, Food Gawker, Huffington Post, Women’s Health Mag, Today Show, BuzzFeed, Jamaican Eats Magazine, One Green Planet, Epicurious, Veg News,  PETA, The Beet.

Our mission at Healthier Steps is to empower individuals to become the best version of themselves through education, support, and inspiration. We strive to provide accurate and reliable information on health and wellness, as well as create a community where people can come together to share their journeys and support each other in achieving their goals. We believe that by taking small, healthier steps each day, we can all achieve a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

Michelle Blackwood
RN/Health Coach/Recipe Creator/Natural Skincare Formulator
Post by Michelle Grubb Blackwood.