It’s official; we’ve been invited to our first potluck since the pandemic. My initial reaction was one of excitement! “Yes, things are starting to feel like normal." My second thought was, “Oh no, what are my kids going to be eat?” As I wrote last month in “Lessons from the Nutritionista’s Kitchen,” dietary restrictions, in some form or another, play a part in both my health and spiritual life. Community also plays an enormous role, but what happens when the community is not fully in alignment with my—and my kids’—dietary needs? In other words, what if members of the community, with which we’re having the potluck, bring food that I choose not to eat?
Great piece, Loren. Our kids are older now so they advocate for themselves. But for many years we were negotiating family and friend gatherings with three Celiacs and an anaphylactic nut allergy. I usually made something my kids and I could eat that I knew was delicious and more often than not everyone wanted some of ours! Now, it seems hosts are more likely to ask, and more people are on special diets for a variety of reasons, so I would be more likely to mention—and often people do ask. Happy 4th!!!
Great piece, Loren. Our kids are older now so they advocate for themselves. But for many years we were negotiating family and friend gatherings with three Celiacs and an anaphylactic nut allergy. I usually made something my kids and I could eat that I knew was delicious and more often than not everyone wanted some of ours! Now, it seems hosts are more likely to ask, and more people are on special diets for a variety of reasons, so I would be more likely to mention—and often people do ask. Happy 4th!!!
Loren - I love reading your blog and I always learn something from you. Thank you for continuing
to share your wisdom and experiences!