Vent--Family Member Asks us to Accommodate Special Diet but then "Cheats"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister is a food whackadoodle. I feel your pain.

I remember years ago taking her and my father out to lunch when they visited me on the west coast. She went on and on and on about the salad and how it was full of weeds and who serves weeds and how awful it was and blah blah blah. Really pissed me off, actually. If you don't like it, just keep your mouth shut! Now she's expanded her food palate and happily eats those "weeds". GD annoying.

We have the same sister. She was a vegetarian and preached about that. And the latest is gluten free. At a big family gathering, where spaghetti and meatballs would have been an easy solution, she b1tched and insisted on steak tips on the grill and peppers, which is more difficult for a crowd and not as kid friendly. But we accommodated. Then she's drinking beer, having dessert and feeding her kids lucky charms because they are dying for it. Then she insists their "80% GF". Exasperating. I can't wait to see what the next trend is!

Lucky charms are oats. They are okay for people trying to avoid wheat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would absolutely say something when you see her sneaking food she claims she can't eat. "Hey, Susan, I thought you weren't supposed to eat wheat/dairy/whatever?" If I was feeling really bitchy, I'd say, "Oh, what a relief! I had it in my head that you couldn't have gluten, but now I see that you can. That will make cooking for you so much easier!"

You are a bitch.

Sometimes people can have small amounts of a food, but shouldn't eat too much of it. A plate of pasta has a lot more wheat than one or two bites of cake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would absolutely say something when you see her sneaking food she claims she can't eat. "Hey, Susan, I thought you weren't supposed to eat wheat/dairy/whatever?" If I was feeling really bitchy, I'd say, "Oh, what a relief! I had it in my head that you couldn't have gluten, but now I see that you can. That will make cooking for you so much easier!"

You are a bitch.

Sometimes people can have small amounts of a food, but shouldn't eat too much of it. A plate of pasta has a lot more wheat than one or two bites of cake.

But if you can eat a few bites of noodles and a few bites of dessert, surely you don't need your host to make a separate sauce for you to avoid the risk of trace amounts of wheat.

[Anonymous]

If it bugs you put some gluten free bread and gluten free spread on the table and cook your normal meals. Or simply ask her to cook.

The thing that hangs me up with GF is the spices - so many spices, sauces, etc that you use in cooking contain gluten. I'm sure that if you are used to cooking that way it comes second nature to you what to use. But if you aren't used to cooking gluten free you have to read the label on everything. Which is cumbersome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it bugs you put some gluten free bread and gluten free spread on the table and cook your normal meals. Or simply ask her to cook.

The thing that hangs me up with GF is the spices - so many spices, sauces, etc that you use in cooking contain gluten. I'm sure that if you are used to cooking that way it comes second nature to you what to use. But if you aren't used to cooking gluten free you have to read the label on everything. Which is cumbersome.

Soy is in everything.

[Anonymous]

Annoying, but let it go. Make one dish they "can" eat, and do what you want for the rest.

I was cooking for a crowd and spent a fortune on gluten free flour and special ingredients. They could eat everything on the table except the bread. And then they devoured the bread just because it tasted good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could kinda see having rice instead of noodles if she's going gluten free. But if she's sneaking bits of things I certainly wouldn't use a special sauce for fear of trace contamination.

But then she'll make a big effing deal about how she can't eat it because of the possibility. Followed by stuffing a bite of noodle in her mouth in the kitchen when she thinks nobody is looking, or taking "just a taste" of the dessert. ARGH!

I am a pretty straight forward person, so have you thought about just nicely saying "gee Susan, I'm confused on what you need from me since I prepared all this special food for you but then I see you eating the noodles anyways. Can you tell me again what you think I can do to help you?"
Or the next time, just call her and tell her what you're making, and when she protests just say that you are really confused and think it might be best if she brought some food she could eat "I really don't mind at all Susan since I just can't seem to follow what you need"

And that's that

This. In front of everybody