My Guests Can't Eat Anything!

My Guests Can't Eat Anything

 *links will take you to helpful websites with more info! 

Dietary restrictions are becoming increasingly common, allergies, unique diets, religious food guidelines, and the list goes on, but you can handle it! I love being asked to dinner or having dinner brought over- what mom doesn't?! But immediately my own dietary restrictions pop into my head and I think 'oh no, this person has no idea'. I have Celiac disease and have had it for about 15 years; I'm a pro at feeding my family gluten free foods along with catering to our unique likes and dislikes and multiple other allergies that I have. I cringe as someone asks "does your family have allergies?", I always think, do I tell them or just arrive and not eat anything while the rest of my family enjoys a lovely dinner. I tell people if it's a small gathering with one or two other families, but I typically don't mention it if it's a potluck or larger gathering because a large gathering provides me the opportunity to bring something I know I can eat.  With my children's allergies I tell people 100% of the time because a) there's only one b) my child eating something their allergic to is more likely if it's present since they can't always tell what ingredients were used. So what can guests with restrictions do and what can hosts do to make the meal work better? Most of my suggestions include examples geared towards gluten free diets but I too have multiple allergies and these suggestions can be used for multiple restrictions. 

50 Gluten Free Crock Pot Meals

Guests

It starts with you! Most hosts appreciate being told of dietary restrictions and many have delt with restrictions or have family members with restrictions! For Celiac disease I often list off to hosts what I call "The Big Five": (Wheat) Flour, Barley, Rye, HPP  (Hydrolyzed Plant Protein) and HVP (Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein). "The Big Five" have been in my experience the most common allergens that I run into during my day to day cooking. Let your hosts know to check sauces, proteins, and carb products for these. If you have multiple unique allergies you may choose to text or email them a list if you're allergies aren't so easy to narrow down. 

Be armed with suggestions, They wanted to cook a pasta dish? Great! You know where to get allergen/gluten free pasta and you can drop it off before hand or offer to cook that portion of the meal at your place and bring it to the host's. Let the host know that sauce free meats and herb and S&P seasoned meats and and veggies are always gluten free! Let them know that potatoes and rice are naturally gluten free!

Offer to cook a portion of the meal, bring something, buy ingredients for the meal or cook along side the hosts at their house. If they say they have everything under control make sure they know they can call or text you with questions- there usually are some!

Help the host with some ideas of things that your family typically cooks, this can help the task seems less daunting when the hosts sees that you do in fact eat, and it's often "normal" food. 

You don't have to feel embarrassed or apologetic for your restrictions- your restrictions are what you need to be healthy and happy in life and that's ok! Do understand that as popular as dietary restrictions are many people have never had to deal with them or cook for someone with your unique set and it may take a great deal of preparation and learning on behalf of the host. Don't feel pressured to eat something that you know is not within your allowed foods, the evening will be ruined for everyone if you end up sick or otherwise unwell.  Be a gracious dinner guest and know the host has been doing a lot to prepare for you as a guest! Enjoy the food and company!

Hosts

Your act of service will not go unnoticed, asking someone over for dinner or bringing someone a meal makes people feel so loved and cared for and helps friendships develop and grow! The first thing you need to do when you invite someone over or offer to bring a meal is ask about restrictions. When they let you know what their restrictions are don't panic. There are ways to make the meal dietary restriction friendly. You don't have to make 100% of the meal to suit their restrictions if the restrictions are unique to one guest. The main portions will usually suffice, but it is so very appreciated when the person can take part in a large portion of the meal. When bringing a meal to a family try to have as much of the meal within their restrictions. 

Plan what you want to make in advance and ask the person with restrictions if there's anything that sticks out that might be a problem, it's up to them to say x,y, and z, don't suit my restrictions and here's what we can do about that. You are not alone, enlist the guest in planning, prepping, cooking etc if you feel you need more help. Ask the guests what they typically cook if you're thinking "What in the world can this person possibly eat?!". Let the guest know what you were planning to make and you never know it may already suit their restrictions; I've had this happen multiple times and I have a laundry list of allergies! 

Google. There are plenty of suggestions online about what foods are _____ free and how to alter foods to suit various restrictions. The person with the restrictions will always be your greatest wealth of knowledge so grab their phone number or email and get in touch with any questions. Pinterest (click the link to see 50 gluten free crock pot dinners!) is another great source with entire menus that are free from a variety of restrictions. 

 Don't feel intimidated by restrictions, the guest can help you, the internet can help you, and you're probably already cooking some meals that are suited to the guests needs and you don't even know it. Most times meals require small tweaks- this brand of ____ instead of that brand, and are much less difficult to be made to suit guest's needs than hosts initially think. Use your expert- your guest- to help you whether it's with a question or cooking a portion of the meal or coming over early to cook along side you. 

Know that the person with the restrictions is so grateful for having you cook them dinner, most guests are but people with allergies know just how much work you've put into it and appreciate it that much more.

D&C Section 81 encourages us to serve and uplift others, any act of service helps to lift the hands that hang and strengthen feeble knees; a meal can quite literally strengthen people. 

5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees. 

I feel so loved when a meal is brought over or we're invited for dinner. Knowing that someone took that time to think about me and my family, plan and possibly bring a meal to me helps me feel the spirit and God's love in such a strong way. Thank you to all of those who have taken my allergies head on and never made me feel like I was putting you out at all. A meal is one of the best ways to get to know another family- even when you drop one off- and is an incredible act of service that never goes unnoticed or unappreciated. I'm fortunate to have so many wonderful examples in my life of people who I see doing this wonderful act of service and I'm grateful that there's so many selfless people who take the time to consider other. 

Let me know if you have any tips for hosting or being a guest with dietary restrictions!