With the rise of Celiac Disease and the growing awareness of gluten intolerance, more and more people are choosing to live a gluten-free lifestyle. I know a large majority of people still enjoy their gluten (lucky ducks!!!) but when you’re entertaining, chances are you might have a gluten-free guest or two.
If you’re anything like my friends and family, you want to accommodate your gluten-free loved ones but you may not be quite sure how to make your dinner party safe for them. Here are my best tips.
9 Tips for Entertaining Gluten-Free Guests
1. ASK. First and foremost, feel free to ASK them what they suggest. They most likely have some favorite brands they can suggest or recipes to try that will make your life easier.
2. Invite them to bring a dish or two. I am always happy to bring a few things to a dinner party or social gathering that I can eat, and it’s nice for the host to know what I’m bringing so they can plan around that.
3. Read labels carefully. Anything containing wheat, barley or rye will have gluten. If the product is certified gluten-free, you should be good to go. ALWAYS hang onto food packaging so that your gluten-free guests can take a look and verify that they can indeed eat the food you have worked so hard to prepare!
3. Keep it natural. Meats, fruits, veggies, and rice are all naturally gluten free. Grilled meat and veggies are usually safe, but marinades often have hidden gluten so you’re better off making your own or buying one with a gluten-free label.
4. Consider cross contamination. Ask your gluten-free guest(s) how sensitive he is to gluten. If he is Celiac, he can handle NO cross contamination AT ALL. That is very stressful for a hostess, and you may be better off ordering from a place that guarantees their food to be gluten-free, or letting your guest bring his own food.
5. Potatoes and rice are naturally gluten-free. Sometimes people forget that. But there are plenty of starchy foods that don’t contain gluten!
6. Have a great pasta recipe? Substitute gluten-free pasta for your favorite brand, and I seriously doubt anyone will notice! You can ask your gluten-free guest what brand of gluten-free pasta he or she likes, but I have found that most are pretty decent when smothered in sauce. Of course, I’m not Italian . . . but it’s still a pretty safe bet!
7. Please, OH PLEASE try to have a gluten-free dessert option. So often it is dessert that I miss out on, being gluten free. You can always pick up a tub of ice cream, if you’re not sure what else to get. Or ask your guest to bring her favorite gluten-free dessert!
8. Cheese trays are great, just pick up some gluten-free crackers to go with it.
9. Serving gravy? Use cornstarch rather than flour for thickening.
Learn more about living gluten free! Visit https://udisglutenfree.com/community and join us tomorrow, December 5th at 1PM EST for a Twitter Party to celebrate the launch of the NEW AND IMPROVED Udi’s Gluten Free Community!!! There will be fabulous prizes. No RSVP is necessary. Make sure to follow me @JoLynneS and @UdisGlutenFree! Hashtag is #udisglutenfree.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi’s Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine.
