It’s not easy to convert to a gluten-free lifestyle.
Changing your diet to adhere to the strict guidelines of a gluten intolerance can be exhausting, especially at first. Ridding your body of gluten products not only takes a lot of research and time, but it can be quite costly.
Gluten, a protein composite found in foods processed with wheat or other grains, is prevalent in so many foods that merely going to the grocery store or a restaurant in the past has been difficult. And for those with celiac disease, forget about it. The foods they eat can’t even be made in the same kitchen as food with gluten.
But the good news is that you’re not alone in this mission to become gluten-free. With the number of diagnosed gluten sensitivities skyrocketing over the last handful of years, the market has responded. And the same can be said right here in Concord.
While most restaurants in the area offer gluten-free options for many of their meals, there are a few out there that have made the commitment to eliminate gluten completely or for the most part from the menu.
When Charles Latchis first opened the Spoon Revolution Vegan Bistro on South Main Street in 2010, it was a mixture of vegan and gluten-free. Latchis became a vegetarian about 20 years ago and transitioned to a vegan 15 years later. Before the restaurant, Latchis used the space as the vegan community kitchen and is where he was first introduced to the gluten-free way of cooking.
“It’s why we call it the Spoon Revolution, because it’s a different way of eating,” said Latchis.
With no gluten intolerances to speak of, Latchis never needed to cook gluten-free at home. Soon though, it became apparent that his customers sought that specific way of eating. So a year after opening, Latchis made the decision to make his vegan menu entirely gluten-free, making it safe for everyone with a gluten intolerance.
“We had more and more people that wanted gluten-free,” said Latchis.
It certainly makes preparing meals a bit more time consuming, but Latchis believes it’s worth every minute. Because of the process to cook all items from scratch using whole foods, Spoon Revolution only offers seasonal menus that consist of a small number of entrees, salads, soups and desserts. So what’s available depends on the day.
“We have a way of doing things, and that’s why we only offer a few things each day,” said Latchis. “To be gluten-free and vegan, it’s expensive to make.”
Since gluten is a key ingredient in so many of the foods we eat, the goal for Latchis is to find the right mixture of taste and texture in everything he makes. He uses a lot of fresh vegetables and herbs, as well as a variety of gluten-free flours to make anything from bread to lasagna.
“We want to show them they can have a good culinary experience without gluten,” said Latchis. “Essentially you replace the gluten with something that will satisfy you.”
Patti Dann, the owner of Cafe Indigo on Hall Street, is all about making her gluten-free options taste like foods with gluten. The vegan bakery and cafe has been serving diet-specific foods since opening in 2007, and it really came out of left field for Dann.
“The cafe was actually born because my middle daughter was getting married and needed a cake,” said Dann.
So she made a vegan carrot cake for the wedding and soon began making them for the Concord Food Co-op. Then she decided to open a place of her own.
“The next thing I knew, my hobby became a business,” said Dann.
It began as a vegan establishment with a few gluten-free options, but has since made the move to more gluten-free choices. Now only a few items at Cafe Indigo can’t be made gluten-free.
All three of her daughters began as vegetarians and made the switch to vegan and one is also gluten-free. This Thanksgiving, Dann put on a meal for 25 people that was vegan, as well as gluten- and sugar-free.
“My husband and I were all of a sudden accidental vegetarians,” said Dann.
The key is making sure things taste the way people have enjoyed them for years.
“We had to find a way to keep the moisture in and at the same time have something that tastes good. Gluten-free has a reputation of tasting very dry and flavorless,” said Dann. “ And if it doesn’t taste good, then you might as well not make it.”
As for the Concord Food Co-op, the store offers a variety of gluten-free options for shoppers. The gluten-free products are placed throughout the store and identified with orange shelf tags. So don’t worry, you won’t feel like you’re being designated to one certain section of the store for all your grocery needs.
It used to be all in one place, but assistant store manager Nick Schneider said it was easier to have all like products in one area, gluten-free or not.
“It made more sense with the size of our market,” said Schneider.
Over the years, Schneider has seen a big expansion in gluten-free product lines. And the Co-op certainly gets its fair share of requests for the latest and greatest items.
“The customers are a great asset when it comes to gluten-free products,” said Schneider.
In addition to gluten free items from the Co-op’s Celery Stick Cafe, there are also a gluten-free flours and bread lines available.
“The first gluten-free breads that came out tended to be very crumbly and just not the same,” said Schneider. “But they’ve been constantly improving. There’s so much more available on the market than there was 10 years ago.”
But since it’s not a gluten-free facility, the Co-op can’t guarantee it’s gluten-free, especially for those with celiac disease.
It’s a much different way of eating. And while it’s not or everyone, those who desire a gluten-free diet are seeing more and more options at their disposal.
