Gluten free house guests

[jam224]

My BIL and SIL and their 2 kids will be joining us this weekend for a one week stay with us. Both my BIL and one of their daughters eats a gluten-free diet (as far as I know, it's a personal preference, not a true medical concern). I have some healthier snacks in the house, including gluten-free options, but I've never prepared meals that are specifically gluten-free. I'm somewhat educated on the topic, but I don't have the confidence to meal plan for them. So, I'm wondering what I should do. What have you done? Either as a host or guest. Do you think they would want to grocery shop and prepare their own meals? That would make it easier on me! But I don't want to be a bad host. I should add that in addition to their family of 4, my MIL and FIL will be staying with us too (they don't have special diet requirements). DH and I and our DD are a family of 3, so that means mealtimes will be feeding 6 adults and 3 children, 2 of which are gluten-free. This will be the first time we've hosted everybody, so this is new territory for me!

Even more helpful -- if you can link some easy gluten-free recipes for large parties, I'm willing to give some of them a try! (Anyone have anything particularly great for the 4th of July?) We have a small grill and Instant Pot, if that helps with recipe suggestions. Thanks!!

[doberbrat]

I think you need to just ask them how they'd like to handle it. Ask if they worry about trace amts and cross contamination. If they have Celiac, they may need to have food cooked in pans that have not been contaminated. I do not need to for dd1. So she can eat reg oatmeal When I travel, I bring pasta, bread, cereal bars and cereal with me for dd1.

For the 4th, burgers and fries are usually fine. Just check the ingredients if you buy prepackaged. Bread they may choose to skip or want you to buy gf (or bring some) I dont bother with gf buns - reg bread is 'good enough' for us.

For general meals, grilled meat with rice or potatoes works. Pasta dishes are ok but annoying b/c I cook 2 sets of things. Deserts can be ice cream in a bowl, Italian ice, fresh fruit. Try to keep it simple for yourself since you'll be cooking for extra people as it is.

If you have a TJs near you, you're golden b/c they have a ton of good GF stuff that is only expensive as opposed to hideously expensive at other stores

eta: for things like meatloaf, I just substitute ground oatmeal for flour but again, my dd can tolerate small amts of wheat.

[solsister]

CHicken and veggie kabobs, scrambled eggs and ham, tuna or chicken salad in lettuce wraps, tacos in corn taco shells, fruit, veggies and dips, just to name a few.
As someone with food sensitivities and a daughter who is gluten and dairy free, we bring what we need, and buy more when visiting or vacationing. I would never depend on someone else for my dietary needs. I do have friends that ask what they can make and I will give them recipes or ideas, but very rarely, I usually just bring a big salad to a party, along with an artichoke hummus dip, and some plantain chips, but I've got some weird food reactions, so I'm careful!

[khalloc]

I have enough on my plate as it is. If I was having house guests who were gluten free, I would have them shop for themselves and either I would prepare it with whatever else I was making, or they could do it themselves.

[Reader]

We are gluten free for medical reasons (Celiac), and I would never expect someone to prepare food specifically for me. The nicest thing someone could do for me when visiting is not getting offended if I read the labels on what goes in the food. My SIL was amazed that her food was totally fine for us to eat because she had been told we were impossible to feed. She was willing to let me read the labels on the ingredients she used, and all was well. We can't eat at MIL's house because she won't tell us what's in the food or let us see any labels.

[wendibird22]

Summertime food is pretty easy. Burgers, hot dogs, any meat on the grill. Potato salad (so long as mayo used isn't contaminated with bread crumbs). I eat my grilled meat without buns. Eggs, cheese, yogurt are easy breakfast staples. Fruit, veggies, salad ingredients.


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[AnnieW625]

I eat gluten free by choice as well.

Just prepare your food the way you normally would and serve spaghetti sauce and noodles separately or make something like tuna without bread as well. If you want to do cheese and crackers offer a gluten free alternative cracker like Miltons's gluten free chips (they have been selling these at my Costco for $7 for a large bag) and offer apples. Everyone in my family loves the Milton's chips.

Gluten free pasta is also readily available in either corn, quinoa blend or brown rice at Trader Joes and cooks the same as regular pasta, although I prefer the corn or quinoa blend to the brown rice blend, but my family eats this pasta with no problem just don't overcook it, if it tastes al dente it is done.

Also pick up some corn tortillas.

Don't order pizza because pizza is hard to resist.

[RedSuedeShoes]

Summertime food is pretty easy. Burgers, hot dogs, any meat on the grill. Potato salad (so long as mayo used isn't contaminated with bread crumbs). I eat my grilled meat without buns. Eggs, cheese, yogurt are easy breakfast staples. Fruit, veggies, salad ingredients.


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I agree with this. I am gluten-intolerant but not celiac. I'd make sure to discuss with them how they'd like the food and menu planning to be (as a PP suggested). Some ppl usually eat GF but not on vacation, etc. So it's best to not make assumptions and stress yourself out unnecessarily. Ask if there's a kind of GF bread they like that's readily available in your area (or maybe they will bring some).

But assuming they want to eat GF, all you have to do is what wendibird said. Meat (check labels for no gluten ingredients - beer brats, for example, would have some gluten and use tamari instead of soy sauce in marinades), veggies, salads (no croutons, GF dressing), fruits...there are simple and delicious ways to have GF food in summer. Potato chips and tortilla chips are usually GF (check labels). Dessert can be ice cream (check labels). Breakfast can be cereal, oatmeal, yogurt & granola, or you can make tasty healthy pancakes from Kodiak Cakes GF mix (I get it at Target) if you doctor it a bit (add egg & oil as part of liquid). Make sure to use squeeze condiment containers so no contamination. We buy ketchup/mustard/mayo/relish in squeeze bottles & have separate PB, jelly, butter, cream cheese at our house.

[mackmama]

I would kindly let them know that they will likely need to prepare food for themselves because you aren't familiar with gluten-free cooking and don't want to possibly contaminate anything.

[pinkmomagain]

I am gluten-free due to intolerance and I wouldn't expect someone to go out of their way to specially prepare meals for me. Eggs, tuna, meats, rice, potatoes, and veggies simply prepared are all good. I would try to at least have these things in the house so that if you are serving something like pizza or pasta, then they can easily throw something together for themselves.