How to Enjoy Thanksgiving On Any Diet

By Shana Lebowitz

I don’t really like Thanksgiving dinner. Blasphemous, anti-American—call it what you will, but I don’t. Fat slices of turkey kind of gross me out; the color of gravy is nauseating; and stuffing sounds like the material inside my favorite teddy bear.

While it can sometimes seem like I’m the only one smothering my food in a heap of marshmallow-sweet-potatoes on my plate, turns out Thanksgiving dinner is actually pretty stressful for a lot of people. Gluten intolerance, vegetarianism, nut allergies, or another type of dietary restriction can make it difficult to be a guest at someone’s holiday celebration without inviting tons of questions about why we’re not eating this cranberry sauce or that piece of pie.

That’s why Greatist is here to help. We’ve put together a stress-free plan for navigating the Thanksgiving table for pretty much any diet. The guide includes instructions for how to handle traditional Thanksgiving dishes for gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan, and no-nut folks—we know those are hardly the only diets out there, but everyone can modify these guidelines to suit their own particular eating habits.

Celebrate Good Times: Pro Tips

1. For those dining at a restaurant or at someone else’s house, it’s almost impossible to be too prepared. Before Thanksgiving Day, buy or prepare some dishes you know you can eat (see below for specific suggestions). That way you’ll know for sure you can eat something and you can introduce other guests to your particular eating habits.
2. If possible, let the host know about your dietary restrictions beforehand so he/she won’t be insulted when you pass up Aunt Martha’s famous mashed potatoes. Especially in the case of a food allergy or intolerance, consider asking the host to save the labels on any processed ingredients (more details below).
3. If (really, when) someone offers you something you can’t eat, just say “No, thanks.” There’s no need for an explanation or a rebuke.

Tackle Turkey Day: Navigating the Table

Get that game face on—it’s time to step up to the table. Check out the guidelines below to find out which foods to avoid and which to dive into, depending on personal eating restrictions.

Dinner Rolls

Gluten-free: This one’s pretty obvious. Unless those dinner rolls are specifically gluten-free, they probably contain flour, so steer clear. If feeling especially gracious, offer to bring a bready appetizer of your own, like this gluten-free cornbread.

Vegan: Homemade or store-bought, most dinner roll recipes (like this one) contain milk, so they’re probably not suitable for vegans. For vegan-friendly bread, try the gluten-free recipe above and switch out the yogurt and milk …read more

Source:: Greatist