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Meet Allison Westfahl
Date February 3, 2012
Author creative

Gluten-free Allison!

Gluten-free Allison!

Chef Chuck recently had some questions for me about eating gluten-free. As someone who has been happily living a life of gluten free-dom for over 7 years now, I was happy to give some helpful hints to Chef.

My first piece of advice is this: don’t give up! Whether you’re cutting gluten out of your diet because you have a gluten intolerance, are trying to cure some long-standing health issues, or simply want to drop a few of those stubborn pounds, remember to stay focused on the finish line. I remember when I first went gluten-free…..I made the mistake of thinking I could have gluten “on special occasions”, but ultimately this only led me down the road towards my old bad habits. Plus I never really experienced the true health and fitness benefits of being gluten-free until I had completely purged it from my diet.

So now on to the most pressing question: what the heck do you eat?! Because gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye, you need to avoid all foods and food derivatives that contain those three grains. You can find an extensive list of foods that contain gluten on the celiac.org website. And don’t think that you will never be able to eat bread or pasta again! There are some fabulous gluten-free breads and pastas on the market today, and I swear you would never know the difference in a blind taste test. My favorite brand of gluten-free bread is Pamela’s, and my favorite pasta is made by Tinkyada. You can probably find these at your local grocer, but if they aren’t available you can always order them through glutenfreemall.com. Oh, and if you’re confused about whether or not oats are gluten-free, just look for a brand that is labeled “Gluten-free” and you’ll be safe. I like Bob’s Red Mill.

What? You don’t believe me that eating gluten-free can be good for you AND delicious? Ok, here are two recipes to prove it: Allison’s secret hummus, and Best-ever gluten free lasagna.

I don’t have a picture of the lasagna because every time I make this dish it gets inhaled before I can snap a photo. Chef Chuck, I challenge you to make this lasagna for people and wait until AFTER they have eaten it to tell them it’s not only gluten free, but vegan as well. Be prepared to see minds being blown.

Allison Westfahl is a renowned trainer, exercise physiologist, and fitness personality. She holds an undergraduate degree from Yale, and a Masters degree in exercise science. An avid cook, runner, and yogi, Allison loves to share her secret keys to health and fitness with others. She is the author of “The Gluten Free Fat Loss Plan”, and the forthcoming “Tom Danielson’s Core Advantange” (Velopress, 2013). Her website is allisonwestfahl.com

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