Tips to enjoy your Holiday Meal with Food Sensitivities

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If your family has the most dietary needs, then offer to host the meal. When you host, you can choose three dishes to offer that you know you can enjoy.

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If you love pie but are not eating dairy or gluten or other grains, consider making the filling of the pie in a round baking dish without the crust.

You can also find cassava flour and premade GF baking crusts.

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Take a walk or get some fresh air before sharing a family meal. When you exercise, you are better able to follow you intuition when it comes to which foods you need to try.

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Eat early in the day. Having a large meal around lunchtime, can help you keep your resolve as you focus on eating foods that help you to feel good.

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Some recipes can be altered: flax for egg, GF flour for regular flour, vegan margarine for butter.

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Some recipes are just not worth tinkering with.

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Finally, if you have alcohol or eat gluten or something you normally would not have, enjoy it. It’s only one day, and if you have negative health effects, such as a headache or stomachache, hydrate, and sleep. You may want to fast or take charcoal to help heal yourself. Do not beat yourself up about eating food that is traditionally eaten in your family. Just take it one day at a time. Plan something fun or some recovery time for the day after the Holiday so that you can focus on something other than food.

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Here are four popular dishes for gluten and dairy free holidays:

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3.Sweet potato casserole recipe:
• Sweet potatoes – 9 cups, or 4 large yams
• 9 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes, about 4 large
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• Brown sugar – sub with monk fruit, coconut sugar or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pecan Topping

•  2/3 cup brown sugar, coconut sugar or monk fruit.

•  5 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil and salt

•  1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour

•  1/4 teaspoon salt

•  1 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions:

1.  Add the sweet potatoes to a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain, then add them back to the pot or a large bowl.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

3.  To the large pot or bowl with the cooked sweet potatoes, add the coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mash with a potato masher. Continue to mash or stir with a spoon until well combined. You can also use a hand mixer.

4.  Spread the potato mixture in the prepared dish, and smooth it out evenly with a spatula.

5.  Make the topping: In a medium bowl, stir all the topping ingredients, except the pecans, together with a spoon. Use your hands if necessary until moist crumbs form. Now mix in the pecans.

6.  Evenly sprinkle the topping on the sweet potato filling and bake for 35-45 minutes, until bubbly on the edges and the topping is golden brown. Serve immediately!

https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-sweet-potato-casserole/

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4.GF Stuffing: Consider using a pre-made gluten-free stuffing mix or simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs from your own stale bread. Use vegan margarine if you are choosing to eat dairy free. Add chicken broth to taste as GF bread can be more dry than traditional.

You can use your favorite stuffing recipe and fresh herbs from the produce section or herbs labelled gluten free. Here is a reliable GF recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/classic-vegan-gluten-free-stuffing/

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