Let’s Shrink Our Holiday Footprint – Part 5

This week, Irene Kaye offers some welcome advice.

Accommodating a variety of dietary preferences and restrictions at your holiday table.

Are you stressed-out planning a holiday meal for family or friends who have varying dietary needs or preferences?   Does your son eat gluten-free or does your granddaughter have nut allergies?  And what about your guests who are eating a plant-based diet to help reduce their carbon footprint?  

Below are two websites that can help.  Both have recipes for main courses, side dishes, appetizers, and desserts.   

  1.  Universal Meals are free of the top nine allergens and other ingredients including:
  • Animal-derived ingredients (meat, eggs, fish, shellfish, and milk)
  • Gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye, triticale, and contaminated grains)
  • Peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and sesame
  • Alcohol
  1. The First Mess is an award-winning cookbook by Laura Wright, a vegan chef based in Niagara.  “Most of my readers do not strictly identify as plant-based or vegan!  My goal is to help anyone at any level eat more plants”.  Most recipes are gluten-free.

Your local library will also have cookbooks with:

  • Gluten-free recipes
  • Plant-based recipes
  • Allergen-free recipes