Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner for the Allergy Crowd

I am putting the final touches on my Thanksgiving menu plan.  My fibromyalgia symptoms have been in remission for almost a year now so making sure I have plenty of whole healthy foods for everyone to enjoy is important to me.  I recovered from my severe chronic illness when I eliminated chemicals from my environment, stopped eating toxic processed food, and started eating real, whole foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.  I want to keep right on feeling great during this wonderful food-centered holiday.

Dealing with my personal food needs is not the only obstacle I face in planning our Thanksgiving dinner. I am looking forward to having four generations of my extended family gathered around my table.  There will be laughter, hugs, long talks, games, and plenty of counting our blessings.  But there will also be enough of us in the room that have food allergies and food sensitivities that we could do group Public Service Announcements for the National Allergy Board.  One or more people in my family cannot eat dairy products, gluten, beef, nuts, corn, foods with a lot of roughage, bananas, spicy food, shellfish, pork, citrus fruits, kiwi, avocados, soy, or anything prepared in a facility that also prepares peanuts.  It's a good thing I like creative cooking and relish a challenge.

I want to encourage you that you can make healthy meals even during the holidays.  If I can prepare a delicious Thanksgiving meal for my food allergy bunch, I know that you can come up with some smart choices for you and your family too. You can eat healthy foods every day of your life for the rest of your life if you make eating well a priority. 

Here are a couple of ideas if you are cooking for a crowd that has food limitations.  

***Have one entree that everyone can eat and plenty of side dishes so that everyone can choose at least two additional foods.  If I tried to make every single dish something that every single person could eat, we would mainly spend the day sitting around the dining room table imagining what dinner might look like because it would be pretty much invisible.  

***Enlist some helpers.  My daughter is making two side dishes and a dessert.  And my mother is bringing four loaves of her wonderful homemade Portuguese country bread.

Thanksgiving Menu 2013

Roasted Turkey.  I fill the cavity with apple slices, onion, garlic and spices and baste with olive oil and everyone can eat it.

Crockpot macaroni and cheese.  The lactose intolerant folks have to pass on it but all of my grandchildren adore it.

Portuguese country bread.

Portuguese Country Bread

Baked sweet potatoes.  I serve them plain with a choice of toppings that include butter, soy- free dairy-free butter substitute, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger.  

Squash casserole without the cheese.

Fruit plate with enough choices that everyone can eat at least one of the fruits.

Salad greens with kale, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Apple, pear, cranberry crisp with oatmeal topping but no nuts.

Brownie pie with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Chocolate almond pie that is dairy free, soy free, and gluten free.

Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Pie

And there you have it:  a Thanksgiving feast we can all enjoy.  Oh, and by the way, my family will be here from Wednesday until Sunday so I will be cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the allergy crowd for five days.  And I will love every minute of it.  Because spending time with people you love is a gift.  And Thanksgiving is the perfect day to smile and count your blessings.