Gluten-free guests coming for Thanksgiving? Simple tips to help your guests feel at ease!

You are hosting Thanksgiving for your friends and family, someone is coming that cannot have gluten, dairy, eggs or some other type of food. Are you lost as to what that really means? Do you think that maybe they are over reacting to things? What could it really hurt for them to just "cheat" this one meal? After all, it IS Thanksgiving, right?

First of all, let me assure you, that if you have a guest coming to your home and they have voiced concern over a food intolerance or allergy you really do need to take that seriously. Food allergies and intolerance are nothing to play around with. The reaction can be mild, sure, but for some people they can be quite severe.

There are a few simple things that you can do to make your guests feel totally at ease. Yes, it does take a few extra steps, but they are well worth the effort and what a gift to give to your family and friends! I know that when I host a gathering I want EVERYONE to enjoy themselves, enjoy the food, feel right at home in my home and leave knowing that I did all I could to make their time in my home special.

Everyone has good preferences, some people do not care for onions, raisins, liver, wild game, and any number of other food items. If you knew your guest had a food that they did not care for, would you just serve it to them anyway? This is the way to approach the issue of foodintolerance and allergies. Yes, it is more serious than just a dislike, but you can approach it the same way.

Just taking a few simple steps in your menu planning will help make this whole process run much more smoothly for you as a hostess. The first thing you need to do is learn what your guests can and cannot have. Second, grab a cup of tea and sit down to make your list. No need to worry, it is not as hard as you may think and the reward of a comfortable meal with family and friends is well worth the effort!

If you have guests coming that are avoiding gluten, you will need to make sure that your turkey does not contain any gluten. Reading labels is important, even when buying a turkey to roast for Thanksgiving. I know it is hard to believe that there could be gluten in a turkey, but unfortunately there can. You need to make sure when reading labels that there is no gluten, wheat, modified food starch or even food processed on shared equipment with any of these ingredients.

Gravy has got to be one of easiest parts of the meal to prepare for your gluten-free guests. Simply use corn starch instead of wheat flour to thicken it. If you are using stock to make your gravy, make sure to read the label and avoid those with modified food starch or any wheat products. For many, MSG is also an issue, so trying to avoid it is also helpful. There are many brands on the market that are both gluten and MSG free.

The biggest challenge for anyone avoiding gluten are the rolls and stuffing that is normally served at Thanksgiving. If you are having a small number of gluten-free guests, there are some good options out there at many specialty food stores. I know our local specialty market has some really good rolls and even bread stuffing mixes available. Do some looking and you may be surprised what you can find.

Talk to your gluten-free guests and ask them if there are any brands or even recipes that they prefer. That will save you a lot of time if they have a brand that they already know is a good one. Not all gluten-free food that is sold in stores is wonderful, there are some that are better than others and there are some that are not worth the effort and expense of buying them. Also, talking to the store employees can also provide you with a wealth of information.

In your kitchen, when preparing the meal, you need to keep in mind that cross contamination is a huge issue for many that have to avoid gluten. Even a small speck of something "gluten" can cause a serious reaction in some people. Washing cutting boards, counter tops and keeping serving dishes away from non-gluten foods is important.

Again, talking to your guests is a huge step towards knowing what can be tolerated and what can not. For some people, cross contamination is not a huge deal, for others it is. Until you talk to your guest, you will not know what the risk to them can be.

When serving your meal, make sure you provide your gluten-free guests with clear options. Their serving dishes need to be marked, or at the very least, walk your guests through the serving line or table to point out "safe" foods. I often do this with my kids when we are at a potluck meal or in a buffet line. Provide your guests with their own butter and butter knife, one that will not be contaminated with crumbs from the gluten bread and rolls.

Another easy way to minimize the risk to your gluten-free guests is to make sure you have enough serving spoons in each non gluten dish. Another way to minimize cross contamination with gluten foods. Just try to keep things simple. Communicate with your guests so that you have a good understanding of what is needed to keep them comfortable. Serving a dinner to people with food allergies orintolerance does not have to be hard or scary.

Any time I have guest over for a meal, I try to keep in mind any food issues that my guests may have. Everything from a diabetic guest to a vegetarian. In my mind, any food "issue" needs to be addressed if at all possible. My goal is always to make sure that guests in my home feel welcomed and "included" in the occasion. That should be the goal of any hostess.

Make this holiday dinner as simple as you can. It can be EASY to do, if you organize your menu, guests and their many needs. Yes, it may take a few extra steps to have a successful gluten-free meal, but your guests will appreciate everything you do for them!