A Thanksgiving menu accommodating multiple dietary restrictions

Thanksgiving Menu

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Reading response 2: A Thanksgiving menu

Appetizer

For an appetizer, I would serve hummus; carrot sticks and strips of red peppers for dipping in the hummus; assorted cheese slices; and marinated tomatoes and red peppers. The hummus is vegetarian yet contains enough protein to satisfy the appetite of the vegetarian. Hummus is also gluten-free, as it contains no flour. Chickpeas have fiber to balance out the carbohydrates in the beans, and the vegetables and cheeses also reduce the glucose spike of what is already a 'slow burn' carbohydrate. Although many hummus recipes do contain some fat, this problem can be solved for the fat-free dieter by using a low-fat recipe such as a low-fat vegan chickpea hummus from the Low Fat Vegan Chef. The vegetables are not green. The cheese will be cut in thin enough slices so the low-fat dieter can remain within his or her 'fat budget.' The kosher dieter does not need to worry about mixing meat and dairy, since the meal will be vegetarian.

Main course

For the main course, I would serve a pumpkin stuffed with vegetable stew recipe from Gourmet (2007), leaving out the seitan (which contains wheat gluten which the celiac patient could not eat). The stew is vegetarian yet seasonal; it contains no wheat products other than the seitan (which can be excluded). It is low in fat (it contains only three tablespoons of butter for 8 servings). And it does not mix meat and dairy for the kosher diner. The vegetable soup consists of parsnips, carrots, and mushrooms -- not of which are green. It does contain some celery root, but that could easily be left out for the green vegetable-hating person. For the diabetic, it does not contain sugar and the vegetables contain a large amount of fiber, to offset any carbohydrate 'spike.'

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