On a recent trip to Asheville, North Carolina, we were pleasantly surprised to run into another restaurant that did gluten free extremely well.  The Green Sage is a restaurant that creates healthy options using natural, local, and organic ingredients. They provide meals for those who are gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.  The Husband I were thrilled to come across this sign while milling through the streets of Asheville.

We had no idea just how many gluten-free, vegetarian options there would be.  Every wrap can be made gluten free with a brown rice wrap, and every sandwich can be made on gluten-free bread.  Vegetarians are provided for as well, as every meat item can be substituted with tempeh.  And on top of it all, they will work with you to make vegetarian choices vegan.

The Green Sage is more than just a coffeehouse and cafe.  In fact, they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  In addition to wraps, sandwiches, and burgers, they also serve fresh pressed juices, smoothies, rice bowls, soups, salads, burritos, and organic beer and wine.

I had to try the Sunshine Juice made from juiced carrots and oranges.  It was a perfect refresher on a hot summer day.

I chose the Curry Cashew Salad Wrap with grilled tempeh, cashews, raisins, apples, and lettuce on a brown rice tortilla.  This sounds a little pompous, but it was so incredible that I couldn’t believe I was eating this in a restaurant and not in my own kitchen.  The Husband even commented on the fact that I was excited about eating something I would make for myself at home. EXACTLY!  They key is that I didn’t have to make it!

The Husband enjoyed his sweet potato fries as well as the Chipotle Jack on a gluten-free bun with tempeh, lettuce, red onion, roasted peppers, serrano peppers, pepper jack, guacamole, and chipotle sauce.  He was in heaven.

The dessert case held too many gluten-free treats for me to photograph.  I wish I could have ordered a single bite of each one. Here is a sampling of their gluten-free desserts.

I didn’t sample any of these, but I did come back later for a Double Chocolate Walnut Cookie the size of a dessert plate.  It didn’t last long enough to photograph, but it was incredible. It tasted more like a soft, rich brownie with crispy edges than a cookie, and I was perfectly okay with that.

I would highly recommend The Green Sage to anyone looking for a gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan meal.  They have two locations.  I tried the downtown location and was extremely pleased.

• Have you ever been to The Green Sage?
• What is your favorite gluten-free, vegetarian restaurant?

You can do anything you put your mind to.  It sounds a little cliche, but there’s a lot of truth to it, especially when running a marathon.

For the past 5 months I’ve been training for a marathon.  My first marathon.  Right now I’m thinking that it will be my only marathon.  I haven’t been too vocal about it, because I wasn’t sure that I’d be successful.  I’ve run many half marathons, but 26.2 miles is a heck of a lot longer than 13.1.  Okay, mathematically I know it’s exactly twice as long, but a full marathon (or “the full” as people from a running town like Nashville call it) might have well been 4 times longer.  It just seemed unattainable.

But last weekend, the Husband and I finished the Buffalo Marathon!  And oh did it feel fantastic!  (Well, after the days of hobbling and icing.)  I now have so much respect for those who run marathons to improve their time and for those who run marathon after marathon because they love it.  I have no idea how they do it.  But I’m thrilled that we were able to finish “the full” in under 5 hours.

Even if it’s just this once.

But this is a food blog.  What does running a marathon have to do with food?

Everything.

Fitness is all about food.  Without food there is no fitness.  Fitness starts with choosing the right food to fuel the work that you ask your body to do.

When I started training, I was eating a high raw diet.  While the mileage was low, I had enough energy to teach kindergarten, lead 4-5 fitness classes, and run three times each week. But when the mileage reached double digits I needed more fuel.  Carbohydrate fuel.  So I started adding brown rice, beans, quinoa, and quinoa pasta (my favorite pre-long run meal), and suddenly those long runs felt better.

Another issue I had to face was nutrition during those long runs.  In the past, I’ve used Hammer Nutrition Gels, GU Energy Gels, and Jelly Belly Sport Beans, all gluten-free products, to give me a boost when training longer than an hour.  But since eating a clean, mostly raw, vegan diet, I had a hard time with the idea of sucking down a package that contained processed ingredients.

So I made my own Raw Energy Gel, and over 5 months of training, I tweaked it until I found the perfect recipe.

This Raw Energy Gel not only took me through the training months, but more importantly, it fueled me through 26.2 miles on race day.

These are the power ingredients.

For many of my runs, a tablespoon of chia seeds was all I needed, but when the mileage increased, the sugar in agave nectar, honey, and dates did the trick.  (Read this post for more information on the power of chia seeds.)

Carob powder makes this gel taste like a Rolo.  Do you remember those?  Gooey caramel encased in chocolate.  ***Note, Chatfield’s Carob does not claim to be gluten-free.  See comments below.

Just toss the ingredients into a mini-food processor and let them sit for an hour to allow the dates to soften and the chia seeds to gel.

Then puree until it’s smooth.

I found that 1 1/2 tablespoons of gel was the perfect amount for every 5 miles.  Any more and I was too full to run.  Any less and I bonked.  Hard.  Play with the serving size to see what works for your body.

I scooped 1 1/2 tablespoons into a Ziploc Snack Bag and stored them in the fridge.

While running, I squeeze the gel into the corner of the baggie, bit off the baggie tip, and squeezed the gel right into my mouth.  Instant energy.

This recipe makes 5-6 bags of Raw Energy Gel.  Store them in the fridge, but take them out a few minutes before shoving them in your running shorts. Brrrrrr!

Raw Energy Gel

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 6 raw dates
• 1/2 c. raw agave nectar/honey combination (I use 50/50, but play with the ratio to find your ideal combination.)
• 1 T. chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 T. carob powder

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients in a mini-food processor, and let them sit for 1 hour.

2.  Process until the mixture is almost smooth. (Leaving the dates a little chunky gives you something to chew while running…a nice distraction from the running.)

3.  Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon of gel into each snack-sized baggie.

4.  Press the air out of each baggie, zip them up, and store the baggies in the fridge.

Makes five 1 ½ T. servings

Run well, run fueled, and run raw!

Readers, dish!

• Do you have a dream goal that seems unattainable?
• Endurance athletes, what do you eat during training?
• What physical accomplishment are you most proud of?
• What could you do if you put your mind to it?

I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to try PortaVia Italian Kitchen since hearing for the past year that they have amazing gluten-free pizza.  But I’ve been leaning towards a high raw/vegan diet, so I’ve been less attracted to restaurants claiming to have the next best gf crust.  Yawn…

Having guests in town gave us the perfect opportunity to try PortaVia Italian Kitchen.  I was astounded that they not only had gluten-free pizza, but gluten-free pasta as well.

That definitely perked up my cat ears and started me happily purring, but then the waiter brought bread.  Gluteny bread.

“Oh, no thank you,” I said quickly.  I like to refuse bread before it actually hits the table, so it isn’t wasted.  I don’t want it, but I know someone else will.  I’d rather not even have glutenous crumbs on my table, and the Husband sweet enough not to eat gluten in front of me.  ”I’m gluten intolerant,” I explained.  What happened next sent me on a catnip-induced trip!  The waiter said that he would bring me gluten-free rolls.

What???  That seriously only happens for me in New York City, not in Nashville.  The waiter brought these rolls.

With olive oil.

And they were incredible.  I dare say they were the best gluten-free rolls that I’ve ever had outside of my kitchen.   They were piping hot from the oven, steamy, tender, and perfect. These were not rolls kept in the freezer saved for the occasional gluten-free diner who pops in.  These rolls were freshly made.  With such attention to the quality of the delicious free bread, I knew that the upcoming meal would have to be amazing.  (I would have paid money for these rolls.)

With not just two gluten-free options, but two entire gluten-free categories to choose from, I knew we had to order both pizza and pasta.  Thankfully, the Husband always splits meals with me, so I could have the best of both worlds.  Before ordering, I had to ask about the pizza crust.  If it was just another restaurant that put their toppings on a frozen gf crust from a restaurant supplier, I was going to calm down a little.  I’m thankful for those restaurants, but the homemade rolls set my hopes pretty high.  The waiter’s response confirmed my prediction that this was not just an average pizza place.  PortaVia makes their own pizza crust.  I haven’t found that outside of NYC.

The Fettuccinie al Pesto was delicious.  The pasta was tender, yet substantial, not mushy as many gluten-free pastas tend to be.  But the pesto sauce was ridiculous.  Memories of last summer’s perfect pesto made from freshly picked basil leaves flitted through my mind.

This photo does not do the dish justice (explanation below).  One bite and I knew that I wouldn’t be sharing this pasta with the Husband.

We also ordered the Margherita D.O.C.  And when a gluten-free pizza, or any pizza for that matter, looks like this, any thoughts of not splitting meals with the Husband are tossed aside.

The Margherita D.O.C with tomato sauce, fresh mozzerella di bufala, cherry tomatoes, and basil was worth sharing my pasta.

The poor Husband…I tortured him by snapping photo after photo.

And then he had enough.

The photo session was over.

Almost.

The Husband and I tried to figure out if PortaVia’s pizza had become second to Pala Pizza in NYC or if they had replaced our number one pizza choice.  Was it possible?  Had PortaVia climbed to the top of the gluten-free pizza list?  It was hard to decide since both restaurants bake their pizzas in a wood-fired oven.  But PortaVia has been certified by the Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) organization, which has specific regulations for how Neapolitan pizza must be made.  The sauce and the dough must not contain sugar, but must consist of all natural ingredients imported from Naples and surrounding areas.  The dough must be hand kneaded and shaped and cooked for approximately 90 seconds in an Italian-made wood-fired dome oven at roughly 900˚ F.  The pizza cannot be larger than 12” with a raised edge crust and thin center, and it is served whole so that you can eat it folded over or with a fork and knife, but PortaVia will cut your pizza into slices upon request.  With that kind of Italian authenticity behind every pie, it’s no wonder we were on the fence.

One of the benefits of having PortaVia right around the corner is that we could continue this conversation over another pizza pie the very next night.  Yes, we went back to PortaVia the next evening after our guests left.  That’s how incredible this pizza is.  It keeps you coming back for more!

We tried another pasta too, the gluten-free Bucatini al Pomodoro, which had an authentic Italian tomato sauce.

(The sauce was truly a deep red, and not pink, but I’ve been forbidden from bringing the “big food blogger camera” on dates.  Sorry, but quick snap of the iPhone was all I could sneak in!)

We finished off the evening with a generous scoop of gelato.

Raw or vegan?  Not tonight.

But gluten-free happiness?  One hundred and ten percent.

PortaVia has two locations in the Nashville area.  I highly recommend that you try one if you’re anywhere close.  And if you’re not, hey, I go to NYC for good pizza.  Maybe you should come to Nashville!  I’ll meet you at one of these locations.

Cool Springs:

3301 Aspen Grove
Franklin, TN 37067
615.771.7747

Nashville:

21 White Bridge Road
Nashville, TN 37205
615.356.0001

Thank you, PortaVia, for making world-class gluten-free meals and Vera Pizza Napoletana-Certified pizza for even the gluten intolerant.

Has PortaVia risen to #1?

Yes.

This is really going to save on airfare to NYC.

Readers, dish!

• What is your favorite gluten-free pizza place?
• Where have you found gluten-free rolls offered?
• How far would you travel to find the perfect gluten-free pizza?

Many of you have just returned from Christmas and New Year’s travels, and you may have been reminded of what a pain it is to fly when you are gluten-free.  Gluten-free or not, with new baggage fees, we’re all trying to pack minimally.  Is it possible to cram everything you’ll need for a week away into a carry on?  Not if you’re packing a cooler of gluten-free food.  And you’d better not even think of transporting anything that looks remotely like a gel or a powder or you won’t get past security.

We traveled barebones this Christmas, and when you’re packing Christmas gifts (unwrapped of course), that’s quite a challenge.  The Husband and I managed to share one checked bag that weighed in at 48.5 pounds, just under the 50 pound limit.  But thankfully we were traveling to see Gluten-Free Mom, so I didn’t have to bring the pantry.

For a quick flight, gluten-free eaters can get by with a gluten-free snack bar.  But if you have multiple flights or long layovers, it gets even harder.  Why?  Because then you need a real meal in the gluten-free desert called The Airport Terminal.  Unless you want a dry, prepackaged iceberg lettuce salad with a few carrot shavings and orange tomatoes, you’re going to arrive at your destination ravenous and cranky.

But times are changing.

I was pleasantly surprised while passing through the Atlanta Airport to find GoPicnic ready-to-eat meals in one of the convenience stores.  I had first seen GoPicnic at the Allergen and Gluten-Free Expo last Spring, so I knew that some of their snacks and meals were gluten-free.  Was it possible that these would be too?  A gluten-free oasis?  Thankfully, it was not a mirage!

We bought two, the Hummus & Crackers and Sunbutter & Crackers.  They were both all natural, gluten-free, and vegan.

Each box was $5.99, but compared to other airport food prices, and considering that the Husband would no longer have to deal with a crabby wife on the next flight, this was a good investment.  I did an iPhone photo shoot on my lap at the gate so I could share this great news with you.

GoPicnic meals come in small boxes that turn into a convenient snack tray.  I felt like a kid opening my first McDonald’s Happy Meal!  I couldn’t have cared less about the nutritional value of my cheeseburger and fries in 1979, but the packaging was ingenious.  I was thrilled to find that the GoPicnic boxes contained some of my favorite high quality food brands like Enjoy Life, Crunchmaster, Endangered Species, and SunButter.

I completely enjoyed my Hummus & Crackers box.

But it didn’t just contain hummus and crackers.  Look at the variety!  Edamame, fruit and nuts mix, and even a square of dark chocolate for dessert.

The Husband chose the SunButter & Crackers.  I love that he chooses to eat gluten-free so that we can share our meals, especially since he usually shares more than I do!

Crackers, SunButter, dried fruit, seeds and nuts, and a double chocolate cookie. (He even shared the cookie!)  Now that’s much better than a dry airport salad.

GoPicnic has created four other gluten-free ready-to-eat boxed meals:

• Tuna & Crackers
• Turkey Pepperoni & Cheese
• Turkey Stick & Crunch
• Salmon & Crackers

I’m thankful to have stumbled upon GoPicnic in the airport.  I hope they’re in the next airport I’m traveling through.  Just in case, I’ll be ordering a few to keep in my pantry.  The boxes are no bigger than a novel, so it will be easy to toss one into my travel purse.  You can order them online and maybe even try this GoPicnic Gluten-Free Variety Pack!

Your turn to share:

• Have you found other gluten-free gems at an airport?
• What are your gluten-free travel tips?
• Need to gripe? What’s your worst airport food experience?
• Which airports carry gluten-free food?  Let’s start a list… Atlanta, Nashville…please add in the comments and I’ll update the list.