Words have meanings

Cooking for everyone involves becoming flexible when there are dietary restrictions. Some common dietary restrictions include: 

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Pescatarian
• Flexitarian
• Allergies
• Dieting

Within each of these categories, people have different foods that they avoid. If in doubt about what is allowed in a dietary restriction, always ask! This blog is to help with general ideas and tweaks to fit general rules, and your guest at dinner may have more specific needs. With this in mind, here is a list of what the above restrictions can entail:

Vegan- no animal products or meat of any kind. Some sneaky animal products that are hidden in products include: lactose sugar (milk sugar), gelatin, fish sauce, oyster sauce, anchovies, some food dyes (red colored products may include cochineal extract which is derived from bugs). Most vegans avoid honey as well. It's not all bad though, Oreos are vegan! Your guest may or may not have a preference on fake meat substitutes such as tofu, seitan, tempeh and processed brands like Gardein, Morning Star, and Beyond meat depending on personal preference. Shredded unsweetened jackfruit can be an interesting sub for some meat products. 

Vegetarian- May or may not eat eggs and dairy products. Don't eat meat of any kind. Sub out chicken stock with vegetable stocks, beef broth with mushroom stock (or better than bouillon bases that are vegetarian). Look out for gelatin in unlikely places, such as yogurts and dips. Sub out lard for shortening, add some smoked paprika if you're subbing out bacon fat. Watch out for anchovies in condiments such as Worcestershire sauce. Also, rennet (an enzyme used in cheese production) can be sourced from cows and should be avoided. Most companies that source vegetarian rennet will state this on the label. Also look out for fish sauce and oyster sauce in condiments. 

Pescatarian- Someone who does not eat meat but does eat fish. Please consult with your pescatarian about sneaky food restrictions as mentioned in the vegan and vegetarian section. 

Flexitarian- Someone who may have a combination of the diets above, for instance I have a friend who eats mostly vegan but will eat some fish. Some flexitarians are also 80/20 split with a diet such as eating meatless during the week but loosening restrictions when out to eat or on special occasions. Always check with your flexitarian about specifics, I'm sure they're happy to hear you want to accommodate them. 

Allergies- Allergies are no joke and you should always take them seriously. The big 8 allergens, according to the FDA are: Milk, Wheat, Tree Nuts, Eggs, Peanuts, Shellfish, Fish and Soy beans. Others have a variety of allergies not covered by that list. All recipes posted here will have audibles to make something allergy compliant, but please check your labels before putting together a meal for someone with an allergy. Little things you can do to help prevent any issues: good housekeeping in the kitchen; use separate utensils when preparing a dish for someone with allergies; store allergens in a separate area in your fridge or pantry to prevent cross contamination; and run a meal plan by the person with allergies before you go to the store. People with allergies can have a wide variety of reactions, from discomfort to death so please take them seriously. Always check your labels when purchasing prepackaged items for people with allergies. The big 8 are listed on labels in bold by or in the ingredients list. 

Dieting- There are many fad diets and lifestyle changes that people adopt for health reasons. Many have specific limitations. I will cover specific diets in a separate post, but some hot ones right now are Keto, Paleo, and the Weight Watchers plans. Please ask your dieter if you don't know what is restricted. Don't worry, with flexible cooking we can make something for everyone! Most diets revolve around having fresh vegetables and some sort of carbohydrate restriction. Cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles and knowing when to use soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos will save the day in most situations!