Allergy-Friendly Meal Ideas for a Crowd — and for Picky-Eaters!

You've got guests coming and some eat dairy-free. Others need to eat gluten-free.  Another person may be vegan or vegetarian.  Plus their kids may be picky.  What in the world do you do?  How can you find foods to serve that everyone will eat and enjoy?

By the way, you might like this funny video:

We had some friends over not long ago hoping to raise money for this ministry and since my friend Lyn can't eat dairy or grains, and of course I wanted ALL our guests to enjoy the meal, here's what I pulled together…

I've got a bunch of easy ideas for you today for allergy-friendly meal ideas for a crowd:

• A baked potato bar is great as a side, because everyone can pick just what they want on top.  I usually have it with both regular and sweet potatoes:  (Don't forget this:  the BEST part of a tasty baked potato bar:  garlic aioli!)

• A make-your-own salad bar is always popular, especially when you have just the right goodies for everyone to choose from for toppings (click here for more details about healthy salad bar toppings and simple real food salad dressing ideas):

• Pulled pork sandwiches are another great option that you can just offer sides with something for everyone, those not eating bread can eat the pork by itself.  (If you don't have a good local source for safe, pastured meats, click here for where to buy it online.)  You could make this in your crock pot or in your pressure cooker the way I explain in this post:  10 best ways to use your pressure cooker.  (Another good idea to offer that I forgot:  cheese slices.)

More ideas:

• Check out my new post for how to pull off an ice cream sundae bar!

• I also use my pressure cooker to make big batches of cooked chicken like I showed in this post and just pull it apart, this is great for a crowd because you can do so many things with it.  You can make the chicken salad recipe listed below, or season it with cumin and garlic powder, then offer all the sides for a taco bar.  Some will want traditional tortillas or corn shells, but those with allergies can make a taco bowl or something like this:  Chipotle Burrito Bowl Copycat Recipe — Gluten-free and Full of Flavor.

• Most everyone loves chicken salad, you could serve it with and without bread.

• A lot of these soup recipes are grain- and dairy-free, like this Delicious Farmers Market Soup — Loaded with Nutrients!

• You could serve this Gluten-Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe with rice – yum!

• If you want to serve burgers, guests could have this if they can't eat the buns:  Bunless Burger Bonanza… with a Secret Ingredient (+ add-on ideas)

• This dessert is a hit whether you are on a special diet or not!  Paleo Blonde Brownies — I Had No Idea Paleo Could Taste THIS Good

• Or this, the BEST Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe, is always a hit!

• Find more gluten-free recipes here
• Here's a more detailed post about how I get everything done when feeding a big crowd.

• Here are some more ideas <– that's a member recipe site, but worth the $60/year in my opinion.  The only thing is that they often call for things like vegetable oils in their recipes and obviously I never use those and sub with avocado oil or butter or beef tallow or olive oil!  Also in that article I linked to, they have a few gross suggestions like “plant based meat” which you'll NEVER see me serve in my kitchen.

Did I forget any allergy-friendly meal ideas for a crowd?!

• If you're sick of dealing with food allergies in your family, it might be at least worth a shot to try and heal with the GAPS diet or some other healing diet?  Read more here:  GAPS Diet for Rookies.
• This video is hilarious:  Special diets screwing up dinner parties everywhere!
• My results after the Whole30 Diet and what I ate