If you had special dietary requirements

[Sunflower49]

A lot of dislikes/Vegan/Coeliac/Low carb/whatever, and you were invited to stay at your other half's family's home for a couple of days.

A)Expect them to cater for you but help out?

B)Try to engineer mostly/always eating out whilst there?

C)Take your own foodstuffs and offer to help cook or make your own meals whilst there?

I think A) is a bit too presumptuous and I would worry it would stress them out and be rude, B) might not always be practical and depending on the dietary requirement, may still mean you couldn't eat suitably, and C) might seem rude, too..

I know it depends on the condition and also on the knowledge, accommodating of the person you're staying with-but in this case they get on very well but have never been in this situation so It's difficult!

WWYD?

I would take my own things for breakfast and I would offer to cook a meal for everybody one night, bringing everything with me and I would just do my best on the other days trying not to create a hoo-haa.

And I would eat the things that I was given that I just simply didn't like.

I'm a Coeliac. I always explain in advance the reason why I prepare or buy and bring my own food. When visiting I'd rather stay in a hotel with a mini fridge & micro. That usually means breakfast in the room and only having to deal with one or two meals a day at someone's home. I bring my own food unless I'm staying with someone who truly 'gets it'.

There's a world of difference between a guest who has a food intolerance or allergy or is on a medically prescribed diet and a guest who just has 'preferences'.

Massive difference between genuine medical condition/ ethical choice and just not liking stuff/ short term diets. If coeliac then get OH to explain it and suggest you take own food/ see what they say in response. If just on a diet then I think you just have to do what you can with what you're given ( damage control).

I agree there is a massive difference..I just thought it would be useful to get opinions on not just one type of diet requirement or preference, I wanted broader opinions.
Thank you everyone, I don't want to be a pest and haven't had this situation before . If visiting own family I just take my own stuff, but they're used to me! and not very accomodating
:)

Coeliac is tricky. I think if it was as bad as that I would explain in advance but also bring some stuff. Then see if I could just manage with what was on offer (I can make a meal out of lettuce leaves and mayonnaise!), and otherwise bring out what I had brought if things were really impossible.

Well, excluding medical issues, I'd be inclined to just suck it up, smile, and eat what I liked of whatever they cooked.

I've always been a pretty picky eater (even prior to Coeliac) & I never expected anyone to cater to my pickiness nor would I have fixed myself a separate meal. I could usually find something served that I liked, even if it was just bread or salad, & would just push the rest around on my plate. And stash some candy bars or snacks in my suitcase for later.

I've never been an 'ethical' eater, like vegan or vegetarian, so no insight on that situation.

I actually think this is interesting, Sunflower. As a person with Coeliac, it's interesting to me to know what others do when faced with foods they can't/won't eat or just don't like.

Of course you don't have to answer because it's really none of my business, but is this a situation you're facing as a guest or are you hosting someone?

I was facing the situation as a guest. The people I was visiting are lovely and I didn't want to be a pest at all.

I am a vegan-which doesn't pose too much of a problem as long as someone understands it (they do), but also I am currently low-carbing due to recent weight gain.

Veganism isn't that hard to cater for usually, I'm not a fussy eater and would be happy to have whatever they were having without the meat/cheese, or to just ask them to make me beans on toast or something-it isn't as if It's long term.

I didn't want to appear to be a proper fusspot. Even if I was-I'm strict when I diet.
Anyway you all gave some really good advice, and the visit went well. On the first night went shopping with them and picked stuff I could eat and they were happy to serve me that. :)

I'm glad it all worked out well for you. It's never easy when you adhere to a specific diet, whether by choice or of necessity.

I take gluten free alternatives for me & DC, just to avoid embarrassment on anyone's behalf, and try to engineer lots of eating out.

Hate, hate, hate the extra imposition and it's horrid to feel like a fusspot when it's a medical issue. Sigh.

I sympathise with anybody whose health issues put certain, common foods off limits, I mean, at least veganism is my choice!

I explained that normally I wouldn't be so fussy but I had put on weight so had to watch myself. They understood and it worked out.

I personally would find coeliac easier than vegan (dd2 was gluten free for a while) as it's just a variation of my normal cooking. I would learn fast with vegan and would expect A for both.

Fussy eating on the other hand drives me