Where Is Paleo Diet Foods From Shark Tank Today?
Fad diet or time-honored tradition? The Paleo Diet harkens back to an era when hunter-gatherers primarily consumed eggs, fish, fruits, lean meats, nuts, seeds, and veggies. As pointed out by the diet's modern champion — Dr. Loren Cordain — this is how people ate for most of prehistory, before the relatively recent agricultural, dairy, and industrial revolutions changed our cuisine. As such, it's thought that our genetics are evolutionarily primed for this paleo way of eating, and the diet's proponents, therefore, believe it holds significant health benefits.
Do other scientific sources back up those claims, though? According to UC Davis Health, long-term studies have not yet proven nor disproven the Paleo Diet's effectiveness. There certainly are a lot of healthy foods included in the diet. Although, it may lack calcium and vitamin D while also overemphasizing saturated fat and protein. Ultimately, with the right plan and medical oversight, this way of eating might just stand the test of time.
At first glance, however, the diet does sound a bit overly restrictive. So, folks have come up with creative ways to spice it up, such as Paleo-friendly baking and even Paleo baby food. One entrepreneur decided to go a little simpler, creating Paleo Diet protein bars and then taking their invention onto "Shark Tank," in the hopes of hunting down and gathering up some investors.
Do Sharks do Paleo?
The customer knows best. As told by the Coloradoan, that mindset is exactly what inspired Shauna Sledge's paleo product. Originally, Sledge was simply making nutrition bars. However, when customers told Sledge her bars didn't fit into their new Paleo Diets, she adapted. Thus, Paleo Diet Foods, LLC was born, and Sledge was even able to get Dr. Loren Cordain's endorsement for her protein bars. Local stores started selling the product, and that eventually led to nationwide sales. So, where does one go from there? "Shark Tank," of course!
"I really feel like I need the Sharks and their influence and their connections for us to survive," Sledge explained before asking for $150,000 and offering the Sharks 20% equity of her company in exchange. Sadly, Lori Greiner simply didn't like the taste of the bar and shut Sledge down almost immediately. After that first rejection, Sledge began tearing up, and passionately stated, "It might take a little bit longer without you guys, but I'm not going to stop." Unfortunately, Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec, and Daymond John all felt that Sledge lacked focus since she was also working as a dental hygienist and fitness instructor at the time. Mark Cuban couldn't bring himself to stomach the deal, either, disapproving of the high amounts of fruity sugar in the bars. And for those reasons, all the Sharks went out.
So, did Sledge keep her promise to never stop trying?
Paleo Diet Foods is ancient history
Time marches ever forward, and even something as primal as paleo cuisine can get left behind in the end. That doesn't mean Shauna Sledge didn't give her company her all, though. Speaking with the Coloradoan soon after her TV appearance, Sledge revealed that the company later launched two new formulas, which tellingly had less sugar. Sledge also stated that Paleo Diet Foods was going international. Then, a few months later, Sledge informed Heavy that she had resigned from her dental hygienist and fitness instructor positions, freeing up time to focus on Paleo Foods. "Being able to work with [the Sharks] would have been amazing, but we're still forging forward," Sledge told the Coloradoan. Overall, she viewed the experience as a positive one, which she learned a lot from. "I would do it all over again ... Even with the tears."
All that was back in the 2010s, though. Fast forward to the 2020s and it would seem as if Sledge's original prediction was correct; Paleo Diet Foods could not survive without the Sharks. Sledge's LinkedIn shows she is now the former owner of Paleo Diet Foods, a tenure which ended in 2016. Sledge has also evidently returned to her other two jobs and, in 2019, she became the owner of Corejuv — a producer of CBD salves, lotions, gels, and tinctures. That particular venture still appears to be going strong. Hopefully for Sledge, it won't go the way of cavewomen and Paleo Diet Foods.