When people with huge dietary restrictions invite themselves

mandksima

Sun, Jul 29 2018, 3:16 pm

I'm so used to my own dietary restrictions that I automatically ask guests about all allergies, restrictions, even likes and dislikes as I like to prepare foods with a variety of spices and interesting flavors. I have had adult guests who have denied any issues but then a dd let it slip out that her mother doesn't eat any meat/chicken products and honestly, that was good she said that as I eat no grains and sometimes my vegetables are made fleishig.

We are not invited out often anyway, except to a few friends who know how I eat and one eats similarly. I bring food anyway with me and I tell them beforehand. The bigger a family gets, the harder it is to be invited out or invite them over. There are two big families we eat with somewhat often and that is because they really eat almost anything and the kids are not hard to please.

It really depends how used to cooking for restrictions the host is. It is zero problem for me and I'd rather the guest say something than not say anything and not be able to eat. It is easier to tell a restricted guest what you are able to make than work hard making special things and they not get eaten. For someone who never cooks to the specifications of the guest for themselves in the same way, it can really be difficult and stressful. I find the no onion, tomatoes, garlic restrictions super hard for me to cook for but sugar/gluten/dairy/chemical/refined free is a breeze. I've cooked with no garlic and onion and salt before when doing a cleanse but everything tasted so bad without it that I would have a hard time making it for a guest!

I had a vegetarian family that came over and only after did I find out they didn't like vegetables. That floored me. I was a vegetarian for years and I just made the kind of things I ate but they had challah and one dish was liked.

I don't get people inviting themselves much so I feel for the OP. I only invite people on a week that I feel I have the koach to entertain and spend two or more days Planning/shopping/cooking.