Your Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving Guide
1. Double-Check the Dietary Needs of the Guests
Before you go through all the effort of preparing the meal, make sure you know who plans to attend and what their dietary needs are. The top ten allergens to be aware of are the following:
- Dairy
- Wheat/Gluten
- Eggs
- Tree Nuts
- Peanuts
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Soy
- Sesame
- Mustard
No meat, no animal products, and none of the top ten allergens. After looking at this list, you may be thinking "we're going to starve!" But don't lose hope. Believe it or not, there remains a wide variety of yummy foods at your disposal.
2. Don’t Go It Alone!
If you are going to prepare a Thanksgiving meal free from the top ten allergens, you may feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot to learn! But your guests probably have considerable experience cooking for themselves. For example, if a guest is gluten-free, reach out to them to see which gluten-free bread brands they like so you can use them in a stuffing recipe. That way, you can rest assured that they approve of that ingredient and it meets the criteria for their dietary needs.
3. Start Here for Recipe Ideas
Here's a selection of holiday favorites perfect for Thanksgiving. Unlike most plant-based dairy products, all WayFare products are free from the top ten allergens. That makes them a great way to replace sour cream, butter, and cheddar, which are typically big players in any Thanksgiving dish!
WayFare Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Avoid Cross-Contamination.
You narrowed down your recipes, braved the grocery store, and got all your groceries inside with one trip. You're off to a great start! Before you start cooking, make sure you're taking steps to avoid cross-contamination. Since your ingredients will be allergy-friendly, you will just need to make sure that other foods you have in the kitchen are stocked away and that the kitchen is clean when you start cooking.
5. Serve Up Those Dishes & Let the Compliments Roll in!
When you serve, make sure each dish has its own serving utensil, and post an ingredient list for each dish for your guests’ peace of mind.
After all that work, we hope you'll agree that leaving out animal products and allergens is not only possible but delicious, filling, and nourishing. To start shopping for your allergy-friendly Thanksgiving, check out our delicious selection of plant-based products today.