Three years ago, I gave up gluten, dairy, and soy and never looked back.
That same year, I attended a holiday dinner with my parents and all our family. I ate my fill of all the sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, stuffing, and mashed potatoes I could handle. I did this as if I hadn’t made a huge dietary change in my life. Promptly I regretted it.
Immediately following dinner, I couldn’t stay awake. And I don’t mean typical-turkey-tryptophan-tiredness. This was worse. I could NOT keep my eyes open for even a millisecond. I fell asleep, on the floor, in the middle of my family gathering like a child. When I finally could wake up, my stomach hurt, my head hurt, and the party was mostly over. On top of the embarrassment from falling asleep amidst visiting, I felt like I had a hangover for the following three days. Anyone who’s given up gluten will likely attest to knowing this feeling all too well when accidentally ingesting it. The days following, you feel like you have the flu. In this instance, it hadn’t been an accident. I made a promise to myself that next year, I would have more choices than just the veggie tray.
Here are two of my favorite holiday recipes, that are gluten-free but, are sure to please all of your guests!
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Here are a few more gluten-free holiday meal tips:
- If you are preparing a meal for gluten-free guests, the best way to be sure something is gluten-free is with the gluten-free promise on the label. Wheat-free and other labels can be misleading. Products will specifically say they are gluten-free.
- Consider using alternative pastas. Some of my favorite gluten-free pasta dishes are made with chickpea or lentil pasta. Your guests might taste a slight variation in flavor, but maybe not at all. And the added fiber and protein is an added bonus.
- Many salad dressings contain gluten through preservatives. As an alternative for your gluten-free guests consider setting out olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Not all turkeys are gluten-free. Be sure, if you are serving turkey that it has the gluten-free promise on the label. Not a fan of turkey? We have steaks at my house and they are always a big hit!
Is someone in your family a gluten-free {and/or dairy or soy-free} foodie too?
Share your recipe in the comments!
