REGINA – Oven roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, and heaps of stuffing – the traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a potential minefield for people with food allergies.
“Some family members are celiac, so they have to watch what they eat,” said Gilles Gobin, Le Macaron Cafe and Decadent Desserts owner.
Le Macaron provides alternatives: a lot of french pastry is already flour free.
“We’re mentioned on different celiac websites because they know that we have different products,” said Gobin.
So if pumpkin pie isn’t an option, what about a pumpkin macaron?
“People really want pumpkin around this time of year, so we’ve been making some gluten-free pumpkin granola bars, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cupcakes – pumpkin in everything,” said Jssel Blackmore, sprout catering owner and chef.
Sprout opened their doors last year hoping to cater to people with food sensitivities.
“We get lots of requests for gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free,” said Blackmore.
She has suggestions on how to accommodate multiple food allergies and preferences within the same meal: “Just vegetable side dishes, I guess. There are so many options for side dishes – brazed cabbage, roasted cauliflower, baked sweet potato, garlic green beans. There are so many options.”
“If you’re cutting out, say gluten and dairy, you’re probably going to be making healthier meals,” said Ashley Clark, a holistic health coach based out of Saskatoon. “You have to get on the internet and look for your own recipes and make things from scratch.”
However, don’t expect others to accommodate your allergy. You can give a host suggestions, but Clark said if invited for Thanksgiving, you should prepare your own dish. Everyone might appreciate an alternative to a traditional recipe.
Clark also provided a number of recipes for alternative Thanksgiving recipes, you can find here.
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