When it comes to hosting a party, it’s important that you meticulously plan everything—from the venue to the music to the decorations and the guest list. The reason for this is so you can be fully in control of what goes on in the party you organize. But another thing you have to carefully consider is the food you will be serving at the event. Especially if you intend to have a sit-down dinner, you have to be sure that your guests will enjoy the food you choose.
But when you’re planning the food to serve to your guests, there is something you have to carefully consider—the dietary restrictions of your guests. Most hosts take this for granted, which ends up disappointing the guests of the party. Since your guests will most likely have a special diet to follow, you also have to make it easy for them to push through with their diet and not end up cheating on it.
People have certain dietary restrictions for a myriad of different reasons. While some people do it to lose weight, there are others that have strict allergies that could be fatal for them. And in some other occasions, your guests may be under a dietitian’s diet to control their blood sugar and/or cholesterol. With these things to consider, it is important that you carefully pick out the right food items to accommodate guests that have these dietary requirements.
So how do you order food for guests who have a strict diet? Here are some of the things you need to know:
First things first—ask for their preference.
When sending out an invitation to guests, it is now customary to ask them specify any dietary restrictions they may be following. This is a good way you can have an estimate on how much food to prepare for those with a certain diet. Once your guests have started replying to your invitation, you can start collecting the different diet restrictions to prepare a meal for.
Vegetarian Diet
Nowadays, more and more people have shifted to a vegetarian lifestyle for health reasons. If you have guests that indicate they are vegetarian, you should pick out food items that don’t include any meat in them. This means that you should include some dishes that contain fruits and vegetables so they have something to choose from.
There is a loose argument on vegetarians who consider seafood as an exception. But since this isn’t something that all vegetarians are okay with, the best you can do is to avoid it altogether.
The recommended dishes you can serve to your vegetarian guests include:
- Appetizer: Cheese Souffle, Avocado Fries, Spinach, Feta and Onion Parcels, Tomato and Feta Salad, Grilled Melon Caprese Salad
- Main Course: Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli, Wild Rice and Mushroom Risotto
- Dessert: Sorbet, Apple Crisp, Rice Pudding, Waffle
Vegan Diet
Another popular diet that many Americans opt for is a vegan lifestyle. Compared to vegetarians, vegans opt for dishes that do not make use of any animal food products. This also requires a stricter dietary guideline to follow as these dishes are usually free from any milk, cheese, or eggs.
Because of how strict this diet is, your caterer needs to have the right culinary training to be able to meet the requirements of a vegan’s diet. He should also know how to substitute such things in order to make sure that the food he prepares are still delicious and compliant to a vegan diet.
Some examples include:
- Appetizer: Thai Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Spring Pea Guacamole, Fried Risotto Balls, Cucumber and Zucchini Salsa, Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Dip
- Main Course: Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds, Vegetarian Chili, Teriyaki Tofu and Mushrooms
- Dessert: Sinless Sticky Toffee Pecan Pudding, Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts
Gluten-Free Diet
There are also people who may opt for a gluten-free diet because they are avoiding gluten. Usually, this is because they have an intolerance for gluten. Some people may also have a violent reaction to the protein due to a disease. Since this is a protein commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye, there are plenty of dishes that they have to avoid. As a result, they need to follow a strict dietary guideline.
If you have guests who request for a gluten-free meal, here are some dishes you can choose:
- Appetizer: Deviled Eggs, Spicy Baked Plantain Chips, Cherry Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Bites
- Main Course: Gluten-Free Grilled Tofu Steaks, Grilled Chicken with Gluten-Free Lemon-Tahini Zucchini Noodles, Gluten-Free Mediterranean Chicken
- Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake, Gluten-Free Orange and Almond Cake with Mascarpone, Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Frosting
Food Allergies and Intolerances
Lastly, there are some people who may specify their food allergies and intolerances. When you know what these guests are violently allergic to, you can have your caterer prepare a dish that excludes the allergens specifically for him.
Picking out a menu for guests with a special dietary need may be difficult for you. But if you choose a caterer who is well-versed with such things, you can be sure that your guests will enjoy the food served to them. And this can play a big factor on the success of your party.
Ryan Davis is the owner of Argyle Catering the best company for catering Jefferson City, MO has to offer.
