Food allergies — I am sure many of us have these issues. Prawns, gluten, milk… With quite a few ingredients disagreeing with me, I know it can get a little difficult dealing with it. You have to be careful every time you eat out. Similarly, if you had to host someone who has a food preference or allergy, what would you do?
When you play host, at the time of sending out invitations, you could always request guests to let you know if they have a food allergy. However, this can be achieved only if it’s a smaller gathering of fewer than 20 people. Do not feel offended if a guest asks you about the ingredients in a particular dish; it may be because of an allergy. Always check if there’s a pregnant woman on your guest list so you can make suitable allowances.
I finally accepted an invitation from a dear friend to go out last week. I was excited like a little girl because it had been a while. I told my host about my food “situation” and even though it was at a restaurant where the dinner was a set menu, she made sure that I was served a few dishes that I could eat. If you are in a similar situation, it is definitely alright to tell your host about what you can/cannot eat. Just don’t be too demanding and expect that you get served a variety of dishes. If you feel you’re not close enough to convey your preferences, politely decline the invitation.
The girlfriends have been very kind to me and have been sending me “versions” of regular dishes that I can eat. One of the girls (my regular meal provider), who decided to host me at her home, sent me the menu for the evening and then went through all the ingredients she was going to use for each of the dishes. At the end of the conversation, I felt like a glutton, just thinking of all that I was going to eat. She really did go out of her way for me. If you’re invited to a close friend’s home, you could suggest what you are comfortable eating. The best thing to do in case it’s a larger gathering is to offer to bring your own food – provided it’s acceptable with your host. As a large part of entertaining is about being social, many hosts will encourage you to attend and bring your special dish. If some dietary restrictions are based on religious tenets, it may not be practical to accept some invitations.
If you do not drink alcohol, it’s fine to ask for water, juice or a soft drink instead. You do not have to give a reason, unless you wish to. You are not obliged to drink just because the host or another guest forces you.
To let your host know politely, simply say, “I’d love to come, but I’d like to let you know I’m vegetarian – could I bring a salad along?” or “I’d love to come, but I’m allergic to fish”. Always give your host the option to accommodate you or not. In some cases, it may not be possible, so don’t take offence.
