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36 maltatoday SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 This Week FOOD allergies are exhaust- ing. Once you've managed to get your head around what you can and can't eat and get your kitchen in order to ensure there are no contaminants lurking around, you have to navigate the world outside. Though some restaurants of- fer gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options, these are few and far between and even when there are options on the menu you don't know what's happen- ing behind the scenes, before the food makes it to your plate. A tiny snack shop in Naxxar has you covered. From the out- side the place looks like just another health shop. One more store peddling expensive pea- nut butters and f lours made from strange grain. Step inside, however, and you're greeted with so much more. For one thing you can sit down for a coffee, cakes and even full- blown meals and what's more – everything is gluten-free, with plenty of lactose-free or dairy free-options as well as vegan dishes. If your allergies are serious enough, then a loaf of gluten- free bread baked in the same ov- en that regular bread is baked is enough to make you sick. What you really need is a gluten-free kitchen. Everything at Liv well is gluten-free, meaning coeliacs enjoy everything from the bread to the cakes, pizzas and pasta. I had heard that they make a pretty good pizza at Liv well. Remove gluten and lactose from the equation and I was THE RESTAURANT Triq San Gorg, Naxxar Tel: 77876544 Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:30 – 19:00; Friday 9:30 – 21:00, Saturday 10:00 – 19:00 WHAT I ATE Pizza Parma and rucola TOTAL Total: €10.50 excluding drinks sceptical. It takes some pret- ty hard work to get this one right! But I was pleasantly sur- prised. The crust actually felt like pizza crust rather than the cardboard gluten-avoiders have come to expect. You can opt for lactose-free cheese or dairy free cheese. The former lacks the sugars found in dairy prod- ucts but is still made from cow's milk, while dairy-free milk uses no milk at all and is made from nuts or other plant-based items which is perfect for vegans. They even have gluten-free beers, which I decided not to or- der as it was the middle of the day and I was trying to adult re- sponsibly. On second thoughts I should have ordered the beer! The desserts looked prett y good too, with a gluten-free version of traditional imqaret taking centre stage on the coun- ter. If that's not all there are a variet y of homemade frozen goods you take home with you, from vegan, gluten free ravioli made with a spinach dough and stuffed with mushrooms, to frozen pizzas and rosellas so getting a gluten-free dinner at home is easy as pizza-pie. The food is great at Liv well and the service is even better. This husband-wife team are truly knowledgeable about food aller- gies are happy to take the time to explain what they have and what ingredients are in all their items. If you have any food allergies, or are just looking for a pleasant place to get a healthy bite to eat, then pay a visit to Liv well. You'll become a regular in no time. Rachel Zammit Cutajar Livwell Health and Snack Shop