How to Entertain Guests with Special Dietary Needs
Entertaining friends and family is one of life’s great pleasures. Entertaining guests doesn’t have to be complicated or arduous, but there may come a time when you need to make special arrangements for your guests. A good example is dietary requirements: vegetarians, vegans, and for those who are lactose intolerant, among others, it is crucial that you understand their needs and prepare foods that fit their eating habits or dietary conditions.
The last thing you want is to offend a guest by serving a meat-based meal when you’re a vegetarian. If you’re cooking for someone you haven’t cooked for before, it would be polite to call or visit them before the event to ask about their food preferences.
Just remember that most guests who have a special dietary requirement won’t be put off if you go ahead and make an entrée that isn’t right for them. It can be difficult enough to prepare a main dish, so instead you can increase the entrees to suit them or prepare more side dishes.
We’ll take a look at some of the most common special diets – what they mean and what foods should be avoided or eaten at a minimum so you can move forward with confidence when planning your party or gathering.
diabetics
Diabetics need to watch their sugar intake, so it can be frustrating for them to go out to dinner or attend social gatherings. Make life easier for them by discussing with them how you plan to prepare the food; At the very least, you should limit the sugar content as much as possible or use sugar substitutes. This won’t ruin the flavor of your food and it won’t eliminate a lot of options as to what you can make.
vegetarians
Don’t freak out when you have a vegetarian or two for dinner! They do not eat meat or meat products so you just have to ask in advance. In terms of meat products, you may not know what they are as they come in many forms. Some of the most common food products made from animal products include chicken or beef bouillon cubes, gelatin, and lard. You can more than balance things out with vegetables by making lots of vegetable side dishes, salads, or pastas.
vegan
Like a vegetarian, a vegan does not eat any kind of meat or meat products. Also, they do not consume eggs, dairy products or, in most cases, honey. Make them happy by stacking the vegetable or salad plates and making meatless pasta or rice dishes. Butter can be substituted for margarine and soy milk can be used instead of cow’s milk.
lactose intolerance
If you’re entertaining a guest who is lactose intolerant, then dairy should be avoided, but the good news is that there are now plenty of alternatives that can make planning your meals a lot easier. Try soy or almond milk and margarine instead of butter. Always save the labels of the food you have prepared so that your lactose intolerant guests can look at them; It’s not that they don’t trust you, but it’s a habit for them and you need to be sensitive about it.