GREENSBORO, N.C. — In just a few days many of us will gather with friends and family to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. For those hosting this year's meal, it can be stressful planning the menu, especially if there are guests with certain dietary restrictions.
Registered Dietitian Lauren Mardeusz from Salt + Honey Nutrition, LLC, joined WFMY News 2 Live in the studio to discuss ways to make the holidays more inclusive.
“Hosting is stressful for a variety of reasons,” Mardeusz said. “It is so hard and make sure that all our guests are taken care of when it comes to certain dietary restrictions. We want to make sure that our menu is inclusive and that everybody has something available for them to eat.”
Mardeusz recommends that hosts ask guests ahead of time if they have any restrictions. As for those with dietary restrictions, she suggests bringing a side they can eat for dinner.
“It can feel very alarming as a host for someone to show up and be like, I can't eat anything that you have here,” Mardeusz said. “So, let the host know gently. Hey, please don't worry about me. I have a dietary restriction. I can bring my own meal, or I just wanted to inform you.”
Mardeusz said some of the main dietary restrictions are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian.