Of course, you are excited to host a dinner party. Besides, whether there’s an occasion or not it just feels exciting to prepare and organize an event for family and friends. So you have finalized everything that you need. Your home is also well prepared inside and out just waiting for your guests to arrive. And the star of the party, the food. So you have listed a special menu for your visitors from appetizers to main courses and desserts. But although you could not contain your excitement further, have you considered having an allergy-free themed party? You can even ask your allergist specialist about it.

Ask Your Guests

Always ask questions. That is the key. Upon inviting your friends to your party ask them if they are allergic to any specific food, drink, spice, or smell. This will help you think of dishes that are perfectly safe for everyone. Being aware of what they can eat will make you a host that really care.

Sanitize Your Kitchen

Before you start cooking for your guests see to it that all of your cooking utensils and surfaces are well sanitized to ensure food safety. Cross-contamination is something that you should really watch out for because you are serving guests with and without food allergies. You might want also to consider using separate utensils and wares for the dishes you are preparing for your allergic friends.

Label Your Dishes

You might have encountered restaurants having labels on the food that they serve. It is to inform their customers who have a certain allergic reaction to food on what to avoid and what is safe for them to eat. This technique is something that you should be applying too. Label your menu with something like gluten-free, vegetarian, soy-free, dairy-free, seafood, spicy, etc. You can also be creative in labeling the foods. It can be colorful, with various shapes or themes. You can also state the ingredients you have on your dish to add more awareness to your guests with allergies.

Is Your Party Indoors or Outdoors? Day or Night?

Timing is important, especially to those who have morning allergies due to pollens. If that is the case, then you can have the event a bit close to lunch or dinner. It is always best to consider your guests’ safety for everyone to enjoy your party without worrying about anything. Being aware of the time that triggers their allergies will give you time to prepare the party well and at the same time will have them condition their allergies too.

How About a Potluck?

It is fun to cater to your guests, but preparing food for people with various food sensitivities will be stressful for you in the latter. So why not ask your guests to bring in food that they love to eat and is safe for them to eat. At least you are assured that what they contributed for sharing is something safe for everyone.  This will also give room for your foodie friends to cook their specialties or prepare dishes they are confident to share with everyone without worrying about allergens.

Food Allergens

Here’s a list of fruits, veggies, and nuts that may trigger food allergies:

Apples, almonds, celery, carrots, kiwis, peaches, plums, hazelnuts, pears, melons, oranges, tomatoes, banana, melon, sunflower, cucumber, and zucchini.

So if you insist on cooking the menu yourself, maybe you would like to keep the above-mentioned ingredients off your recipe lists. For sure, you can always find an alternative for them. Do your own research too about allergy-free dishes and be creative about it. They will not only be free from allergens but is guaranteed healthy at the same time.

Are you still determined to throw a party? Totally! Why stop planning an event that will make everybody happy and be able to create wonderful memories.  At least this section will not only give awareness to people that you can customize your menu for your allergic guests, but also to those who are dealing with allergies that they can be very much open about it. It will not only keep them safe but will protect the other guests too about certain food allergens. It is still a win-win situation.  What’s important is that everyone is safe and will definitely enjoy your hosted event. Discuss this also with your allergist Manassas about other allergy-safe food and tips on how to prepare them well.