This past weekend I attended my nephew’s wedding, which was a very exciting event for our family, especially since he is the first grandchild to get married.
Attending a special occasion when you are on a particular diet can be a challenge. Whether you are gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan or on any other restricted diet, you may need to plan ahead to ensure your blood sugar stays stable. Otherwise, you may end up paying the price with a massive headache and subsequent inability to fully enjoy yourself!
Make sure to have a snack that includes protein and some good fat before you go to the ceremony. There may be a long delay before you get to eat again! A smoothie that incorporates protein is a good choice that is quick and easy to prepare. Pack some nuts, seeds, a hard-boiled egg or a protein bar in your purse, just in case there is nothing suitable to consume at the reception.
For those on a gluten-free diet, if there is a buffet, you can probably find at least a few things that are okay to eat – raw vegetables and fruit are a couple of examples. For a sit down meal, if you eat meat, you likely will not have a problem (unless the meat is doused in mystery sauces). However, if you are vegetarian or vegan, you are going to have a more difficult time, since pasta seems to be the ubiquitous veg dining choice of caterers everywhere!
If you don’t want to draw attention to your dining predilections, have a few bites, if you are not allergic or intolerant, and then just push things around on your plate. No one will be monitoring your intake (unless you draw attention to it yourself) so just eat what you can and don’t make a production of it! You can always refuse bread or desert. Special diets are so prevalent these days that most people will not raise an eyebrow in any case.
If you are close to the bride or groom, you might wish to inform them ahead of time of your predicament (since if you don’t plan to eat at all, they can save the expense of your plate), but another option is to call the caterers at the event yourself (to see if they can accommodate your special diet) – that way you know what you are going to be dealing with ahead of time. I like that idea since you can avoid burdening the busy couple with your problems! Another idea is to skip the dinner and turn up afterward for the party.
Due to our Irish heritage (celiac disease is much more prevalent in that population), many of our family have discovered an intolerance to gluten, so there were gluten-free options at the reception. My main problem was trying to not scarf down too many of the gluten-free sweet treats available!