What dietary requirement would you find it most difficult to cater for?

[LeaveYourHatOn]

I consider myself a good, resourceful cook who is happy to cater for everyone, but admit that a recent request from someone for "practically no carbs" has me a bit stumped. I need to provide 3 meals a day for ten days, and not just for this person - there's a couple of vegans and a vegetarian too, and ideally I'd not have to cook different meals (although I can't see a way round it in this case).

Anyway, got me wondering - what dietary requests/requirements would you find challenging?

(Any suggestions for family friendly v. low carb recipes also gratefully received!)

We have food allergies in the family and I completely understand others finding it difficult. I would never expect anyone to cater for allergies but those that do are friends for life IMO. It means the world to me when someone makes the effort to feed my child safely.

I would do a substantial side dish of a vegetable. Can be plain - courgettes, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, bean sprouts etc. Then serve alongside curry (with the usual other accompaniments), sausages, bolognaise (let people mix own sauce into pasta, or into veg), stew/casserole, chilli (but the low carber probably won’t eat kidney beans - though worth checking), etc. Plus soup as others have said. I would possibly also ask the low carber for what they eat in a typical week - you may find they are not as strict as you think.

@toastofthetown

I also struggle massively when my mother in law comes to stay. She says that she'll just eat what we eat, but won't eat onion, garlic, anything spicy, not too much salt. As I said above, we're a vegetarian, gluten free household and we eat a lot of Indian, Asian, Mexican food. She probably thinks at this point that we only eat omelettes, baked potatoes and egg fried rice.

I feel like the only vegetarian on Mumsnet who is happy to eat vegan food. I don't like vegan cheese, but I don't like fake meat options in vegetarian food either. And to be honest, if I see fake meat and cheese on a menu, I'd probably avoid the whole restaurant because it's probably not the kind of restaurant I'd want to eat in. And for me, the kind of place whose only vegetarian/vegan option contains animal product substitutes probably was only replacing a bland risotto or goats cheese tart anyway - hardly a culinary loss. But dals, dosas, berenjenas fritas, avocado maki, miso glazed aubergine, samosa chaat, black bean taquitos, breaded tofu bibimbap are examples of food that I've eaten in restaurants recently that are delicious, full of flavour and naturally vegan. And all of those restaurants also had plenty of other vegetarian but not vegan options.

I tend to stick to tapas and mezzo type places now.

I'm cooking at home in a having-guests capacity, not professional catering.
I have looked at all the links and suggestions, and I've been looking up low-carb websites and recipes, and I still think it sounds very restricting. Even without the fact that we eat a mainly vegetarian diet these days, we NEVER have eaten meat every day - who on earth can afford that? Especially if you care about animal welfare.

Agree with everyone about the lack of veggie food when eating out - it's all sodding vegan meat-substitute processed pretend-cheese crap.

If I were staying with someone for 10 days, I'd be offering to cook on at least a couple of nights - or at the very least taking them out for a meal!

*taking the host out that is!

Strict kosher is impossible just for a visitor or two.
Good luck with it all!

I've just re-read your OP - and wondering why you have to provide three meals a day?! Surely breakfast you just provide stuff for people to help themselves?

So:

• bread/cereal/toast/pastries for the non-low carbers/vegetarians
• yoghurt/sliced meats/cheese for the low carbers (vegan alternatives where appropriate)
• nuts/berries/fruit for anyone who wants them/can eat them

My DS has to eat gluten free and is also having to follow the FODMAP diet for IBS. His lovely partner is vegetarian. My OH can't eat anything 'spicy' and I have gastritis. Takes some imaginative planning to cater for us all!

@BIWI
Well I don't have to cook breakfast necessarily but it still has to be provided as a meal, and tbh that would usually be either toast or cereal, so even there I need to think about what to offer the low-carber :)

Vegans and low carbers at the same time sounds a nightmare! Goats cheese salad for the veggies and low carb no cheese for the vegan?

Trad English food is ok for low carb if you miss out the potatoes, give them rest vegan sausages?

Nightmare

[quote LeaveYourHatOn]@BIWI
Well I don't have to cook breakfast necessarily but it still has to be provided as a meal, and tbh that would usually be either toast or cereal, so even there I need to think about what to offer the low-carber :)[/quote]
Full fat yogurt, berries, nuts and/or seeds.

[quote LeaveYourHatOn]@BIWI
Well I don't have to cook breakfast necessarily but it still has to be provided as a meal, and tbh that would usually be either toast or cereal, so even there I need to think about what to offer the low-carber :)[/quote]
As I said in my post - yoghurt (full fat), nuts/seeds, sliced cold meats, cheese and berries.

Any low carber would be delighted by those!

I don’t eat meat or dairy which would be an issue if I ate breakfast!

@LeaveYourHatOn Rose Elliott has a lovely recipe for granola, which is low carb and (can be) vegan, so should please everyone!

Rose Elliott's Low Carb Granola

Makes 8 servings at 4.4g net carbs per serving

55g unsweetened desiccated coconut
85g chopped brazil nuts
85g chopped walnuts
85g chopped almonds
85g sunflower seeds
115g melted butter (or coconut oil for vegans)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Some stevia to sweeten (I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extra and stevia as I prefer not to use an artificial sweetener - probably a tablespoon)
85g flax seeds

To make it:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Put the coconut, brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds into a large bowl. Add the melted butter/coconut oil, cinnamon and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract & stevia if you're using this) and mix together.
3. Transfer to a baking sheet/tray and bake in the oven for approx. 10-12 mins, stirring a few times, until golden brown . Keep an eye on it though as it'll burn easily.
4. Remove from the oven and immediately tip into a bowl, to prevent the mixture continuing to cook on the hot baking sheet, and stir in the flax seeds.
5. Once it's completely cold transfer the mixture to a storage container.

Vegan, I wouldn't invite one over for dinner though.