Chef Carmen Karlsgodt
- Owner
Healthy Con Gusto
- Website | Social
healthycongusto.com
@healthycongusto - Special Section
Chef Carmen Karlsgodt, a bilingual food educator, recipe developer and owner of Healthy Con Gusto LLC, offers cooking demos, weekly meals and a catering menu. She provides a range of international dishes, desserts and baked goods—all plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free and low-glycemic.
Who is your ideal client?
I love cooking for people with busy schedules and people with food intolerances or allergies. Most of my clients are not vegan and can consume gluten or soy, but they want to eat more plants with gusto. Ideally, I’d also like to work with restaurant owners looking to diversify their menus.
What advice do you give to people who want to start eating more plants?
This should be a guilt-free journey, so start with just one meal a day. I am not vegan yet (gasp!), but I do eat a lot more plants than I used to. If you focus on eating what makes your taste buds and gut happy, you’re halfway there.
What inspired you to pursue this career?
Being unable to enjoy the Peruvian dishes I grew up with due to dairy and gluten intolerance was difficult. After many years of salads, I found new ways to prepare my favorite foods without the ingredients that are harmful to me, leading me on this delicious journey and sharing what I learn along the way.
How have you handled the struggles you have faced professionally?
Every entrepreneur has experienced impostor syndrome at some point. For me it was compounded by an idiopathic autoimmune condition. My flare-ups intensified my self-doubt when speaking about health, so adopting a mantra was crucial. If you don’t have one yet, you can borrow mine: “It’s fun, and I’m good at it.” Keep going!
What is your current passion project?
In 2021, seeking community in a post-pandemic world, three friends and I founded the South Bay Women’s Wellness Facebook group to foster genuine connections. I feel so fortunate to have formed many new friendships. Any of our current 700 members can create and attend free in-person events. We are building something truly remarkable, so join us!