The holidays are approaching and many people with food restrictions are dreading the holiday dinner. When people talk about this they often use the word “surviving” but with careful thought and planning it is possible to actually enjoy the holiday meal.
These are my suggestions for ways to actually enjoy the holiday meal, even with food restrictions:
- Take you best positive attitude.
- Focus on being with family and friends rather than the food.
- Eat a light meal or snack before you go just in case you end up with only salad.
- Take responsibility for your own food needs rather than depending on others to feed you.
- Consider hosting the family meal yourself.
- If going to another’s home talk to the hostess in advance.
- Take a dish (or two) of something you can eat to share.
- Have food to eat that is comparable to the family meal. No sitting in the corner nibbling on a Lara bar while every else chows down on turkey.
- If the full meal is too much to handle show up after the meal with the family album, family stories or your most wickedly delightful gluten free dessert to share.
This is one of those times it really isn’t about the food. Time passes so fast. People change, they move away and yes, they even die. Don’t squander precious opportunities to enjoy being with friends and family. Go to the family dinner prepared, give Grandma a big hug and most of all have a good time. Yes, it is still possible.
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Rogene Robbins is the author of The Gluten Free Good Life and other books available at Amazon.com’s Kindle Store. Please visit her Healthy and Gluten Free page to learn about Rogene’s own gluten free good life.
espirational.com 
No sitting in the corner nibbling a Lara bar… I am laughing so hard because that is what I have done in the past… So, of late, I have convinced the family (who will ONLY eat the 50+ year traditional foods we grew up on) to include several items that me, the vegetarian, gluten free, sugar free person makes. I prepare the cranberry compote, a salad and often a dessert. Last year I made a cold sweet potato salad that while they still had the brown sugar, butter laden yams, they DID enjoy my salad. It’s all good.. I think I’ll go have a Lara bar. 🙂
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The sweet potato salad sounds good! I think educating family and friends all starts with showing them gluten free food can still taste good. Keep it up! I’m glad you laughed at the Lara bar remark. 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and all you do to encourage us.
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Okay girls. . .glad you’re having a good time, but help those of us out that just really don’t keep up with the brand names. What’s a “Lara bar”? An energy bar? No energy bar could replace a holiday meal, that would be torture.
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