Every other day, it seems, I discover that yet another friend/relative/coworker has been diagnosed with celiac or a gluten intolerance. And while "gluten free!" pops up on label after label in the grocery store -- another indicator that these conditions are on the rise -- you have to wonder, should hosts try to accommodate this dietary restriction when planning their menu? Kosher and vegetarian options often appear on them, so why not gluten-free?
In my opinion, you should. It's certainly easy enough -- just leave out the flour and soy sauce, or make the vegetarian entree gluten-free as well. Oh, sure -- there are some tricky "hidden ingredient" problems (mostly with processed food), but any caterer with any level of skill can make the world's most delicious meal without any gluten at all.
I don't think this needs to be taken to the extreme, though. You can definitely serve your gluten-packed cake, but maybe try to serve fresh fruit, too, for those gluten-free, diabetic, or weight-conscious guests who still want to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Are you planning to accommodate special dietary needs? If so, which ones?
Don't miss our tips on choosing your menu and working with your caterer!
From: Janna | 8/16/11 at 11:45 am
My entire wedding except some of the dessert options will be gluten-free. We did not have trouble finding many caterers who could accommodate. We were going to do a portion of the menu- but in the end decided it was easier just to choose foods that would be easy to make gluten free naturally and not have to worry about labeling certain dishes. We ended up with a very tasty menu- without much challenge. I've been told how many gluten free guests are ecstatic to be able to eat everything!
From: Sacha | 8/16/11 at 1:51 pm
As a gluten-free girl of four years now (and having attended many weddings in that time), I certainly appreciate when bride's take the extra time to ensure that there are a few things I can eat on the menu. Though I always try to eat a few snacks before coming, just in case! There is nothing worse than going to a wedding and leaving starving - no one has fun when they are the only one at the party who leaves hungry.
My own wedding, in 3 weeks, will be as GF as possible!
From: Norma | 8/18/11 at 6:07 pm
At a family reunion last year, I worked with a caterer who assured me that I could guarantee my guests that everything on our menu was gluten-free. (Of course, we were not dealing with a wedding cake.)