Dd's friend coming to stay and she's allergic to wheat. Help!

[ClementineKelandra]

Dd age 14 is having 7 friends for a birthday sleepover and one of her friend can't have wheat at all.
Dd wanted pizza for tea so obviously get friend can't eat that. I'm rubbish when it comes to food so need ideas of what to give her!

you could maybe find wheat free pizza bases at the supermarket and make your own pizza toppings or ask her mum what she can have. The supermarkets will have a free from section and other things will be naturally wheat free

You can get wheat free pizza bases in Sainsbury, then all the girls can do build their own? If she's allergic rather than intolerant it's probably safer to do wheat free for all.

look up wheat free pizza base

Assuming they want to eat this like a picnic rather than sitting round a table.... Baked potatoes with various toppings they can help themselves to? Grilled things... sausages, chicken pieces, kebabs ... served with salads like an indoor barbecue, crusty bread optional? Big Chilli Pot and rice on the side.. give everyone a dish? Sushi?

Great minds eh :) that's great I'll do that.

That's exactly what they want to do cogito.

The friend may not even like pizza! Don't go to trouble of making something special without asking.
Ask her what she would like, give her the power to decide. Easy to provide in addition to the pizza, Chips for all and veg on a plate for all to nibble on (like carrots & cucumber)? With sweets & ice cream afterwards?

Do crisps have wheat in them?

you will have to check the packaging but bog standard ready salted should be ok (some of the flavoured crisps may have wheat added in the flavourings)

Proper potato crisps no. Extruded starchy snacks, check the ingredients.

pom bears are gluten free!!

Sausages usually contain wheat.

you will have to check sausage ingredients and crusty loaf would be out too unless you got a wheat free one. Also check flavourings on flavoured chicken, kebabs, etc as they could have wheat too.

Some nice wheat-free sausages are

Black farmer

Debbie and Andrew Harrogate sausages

Good little sausages

And there's another kind Waitrose sell, which are quick-cook but I can't find them on the website!

Ask the friend and her parents - trust me, it will not be the first time they have had to advise on what she can and can't eat!

My 15 yo asked for a take-away curry for her birthday sleepover, which turned out to be ideal for her gluten-intolerant friend. I checked beforehand with our local take-away who said that all their sauces were gluten-free and we only needed to avoid obvious things like naan.

We bought a gluten-free chocolate cake and loaf and that was it. Friend had bacon and eggs for breakfast (sausages may not be gluten free) and toast from the gf loaf.

I did ring the girl's mum in advance to check, but at 14 she was more than capable of speaking about it for herself. Perhaps get your DD to ask her friend in the first instance?

We made toast on a clean baking sheet under the grill instead of in the toaster, which is full of crumbs may have had traces of bread in it. I don't know whether this would have been cautious enough for a full-blown allergy though.

This is really complicated! I wonder if I can get her mum to send her with a packed lunch!!?

It is not really complicated and no you can't ask her mum to send a packed lunch-your attitude is annoying she is 24 not 4.

My dd best friend had milk and gluten allergies but is actually very easy if you put a small amount of thought into it. Just do gluten free pizza-sorted!

14 not 24

Dominos and Pizza Hut both do gluten/ wheat free pizza if you were thinking of takeaway and they're not bad . Most ordinary crisps are ok ,not Pringles . Most chips / waffles are ok and so are some hash brown type things . All decent supermarkets have a gluten free section ( wheat free) and they have a good variety of stuff but it is expensive .

Being able to cater for basic food intolerances isn't that complicated. Her dietary needs are nowhere near severe enough for you to ask her mum for a packed lunch! Just ask for some advice and be grateful it's just for one day, instead of for always like most of us!

All supermarkets have a gluten free selection.
Just pick stuff up from there.

Totally not complicated. Find the 'free from' area in the supermarket or make your own pizza base with gluten free flour. Potato crisps are fine.

My dds have severe food allergies and I know how people worry when they have them. It's usually better if the parents talk to me about what dd likes to eat as some stuff in the 'free from' ranges is rank and some is v nice.

dd2 is quite fussy and its quite embarrassing when people go to lots of trouble and expense for her and then she doesn't eat it so it might be worth a quick check with her parents as to what you are planning.

My dds are younger though so I don't know if thats not the done thing with older dcs. I remember everything being an embarrassment at that stage so if thats the case either be discreet or take a guess!

If you post in the Allergies section then there are lots of people who have tried the whole shebang and can advise you!

Just ASK. Stop asking us & ask the girl & her parents for ideas.