Cooking for Thanksgiving when Dad has new food intolerance

[Anonymous]

You can definitely make turkey (just leave out garlic and onions if you have to...just do it).

Cranberry sauce is easy.

Sweet potatoes are easy to do: one side of the pan is however you make them, the other is essentially baby food with orange, brown sugar, etc... Separate with aluminum foil barrier.

Rolls should be gluten free (have regular if you want). Olive oil for dipping.

Have a nice salad with a dressing he likes/can eat.

Consider a dairy free Mac and cheese (these can be good, maybe add butternut squash).

He won't touch masked potatoes, gravy, seasoned roasted veggies, whatever, but it'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

OP, post on the food board for ideas, but I don’t think this is as limiting as you think. You can still do a Turkey, yiu just need to change the seasoning, but there are so many options including apple and sage, rosemary and orange, etc.

You still have classic TDay food like Turkey, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cranberries, wild rice, white rice, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc. etc.

Also, as someone mentioned, he doesn’t have to be able to eat *every* dish at the table if something like mashed potatoes are a “must have”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Return to the basics: a meat, starch (quinoa) and a few vegetables, a salad with dressing on the side.

This. Various sauteed chicken meals with lemon or other citrus with rice. Sandwich items in a bowl with rice or in lettuce. If the dairy restriction is related to lactose intolerance, they are a surprising number of lactose free items to help make meals.

I don't mean to imply this is easy. Most people have no clue how many items contain dairy and soy. Lots of luncheon meats contain milk.

[Anonymous]

Turkey is fine without garlic. Use sage, thyme, lemon r orange, salt, pepper etc. Mashed potatoes with olive oil are great. Use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the gravy. Do a rice dish instead of stuffing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family visiting for Thanksgiving and my dad was diagnosed with a slew of food intolerances. He’s had a history of GI issues and a new doctor finally figured out a diet restriction for him that works and he’s feeling so much better.

The issue is he cannot eat a lot of foods. Gluten, dairy, garlic, nightshades, soy, eggs and nuts. It leaves me with very little options, especially when garlic (which is in almost every seasoning) is off the table.

Debating on making separate foods for him, but my mom seems to think I’m going to make everything we eat safe. I just find it very difficult and DH isn’t on board.

I can make him similar items, without the foods he can’t eat fairly easy, but it probably won’t be as tasty.

Look for Paleo or AIP (autoimmune protocol) recipes to give you ideas. Reframe your meals from whatever your default is (pasta?) to "protein + 2 veg sides" - e.g., sheet pan chicken + roast veggies / steamed spinach, fish, and sweet potatoes / steak & broccoli, etc. etc. Lean on fresh herbs and spices (other than garlic/onion). You'll be OK.

(We have celiac + dairy intolerance at our house, so I feel you.