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Navigating a Holiday Menu with Food Restrictions

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The holidays are be a busy time, but when you add in various food restrictions it can add a whole new layer of challenges. Participating in get-togethers that are food focused can seem like more work than enjoyment, and can seem overwhelming when deciding what to bring to an event. My advice on how to navigate this food focused time of year? Focus on you!

You need to remind yourself that most people do not have your restrictions, or your health goals, and therefore many of the dishes people bring may not fit your needs. So when planning what to bring, be selfish, and think of what YOU would most enjoy having and bring that. Embrace the dishes you love! Most people won’t even notice that you swapped out real butter with olive oil butter, or that you used real cocoa rather than milk chocolate, who knows, someone may be asking you for your recipes!  

Below is my holiday sample menu. With dairy, soy and corn eliminated from my diet, it was important for me to still feel like I was able to eat a nice feast for Thanksgiving and the upcoming Christmas holiday. When going to other’s houses for dinner, I brought my whole menu below to share, and gave the hosts a heads up of what I would be bringing and asked if there would be room to accommodate my contributions.

Here was my Thanksgiving 2022 dinner menu:

  • Appetizer:

    • Vegetable platter with Hummus dip

  • Main Course:

  • Dessert:

    • Fudge Brownie (recipe coming soon!)
    • Puppy Chow (recipe coming soon!)

Luckily, the protein option for the main course was always prepared by the hosts and didn’t contain any of my restrictions (I reached out beforehand, while they still had the packaging). If you are going somewhere where you are unable to ask beforehand, then plan to bring your own main protein as well. That easy.

I hope you can find enjoyment during this holiday season, and if you need any help with recipe ideas, food planning or prepping please don’t hesitate to reach out!