Tonight I’m headed out to a friends’ house for dinner. There will be four couples total and everyone is bringing a dish or two. It’s a reoccurring picture and the best way to operate so all of the work is not on the host(s). What’s I need to consider when making the dishes is that some of us follow a Vegan diet, some are gluten free, and a few are meat lovers. Some of the Vegans are gluten free, and some are not. It makes for an interesting challenge to try to please everyone, but I do it all the time with my own family, so no problem.
On the hosts’ menu is grilled shrimp (which they won’t eat, or maybe they will because sometimes they do have a bit of seafood), grilled pineapple, and a rice salad (good for all!). Other friends are bringing grilled veggies and hummus. I’m bringing a beet and tomato salad with feta cheese on the side, so the Vegan’s can eat it. And I’ve also made a peach and blueberry salad with mint for dessert. But to punch it up a bit, I’ve whipped up some coconut cream (yes, for the Vegan’s), and I splurged and made shortcake biscuits (not gluten free or Vegan, for those who like a "traditional" dessert every once in a while. I bet they’ve never tried it and will prefer it!
What a crazy motley bunch, you might say. But in every family and friend circle, and with my coaching clients, there are any number of food preferences. The only difference is they might not have a label like Paleo, Vegan, gluten free, pescatarian, or lactose intolerant, so we don’t notice it as much. Many times our food preferences stem from our backgrounds and how we were raised. Trying new things, however, is the way to go, and research shows, is good for our brain health and happiness.
Sometimes we are judged for what we eat or don't eat. I've noticed that all of my friends eat quality, whole food, prepared simply, like I do. This was probably one of the qualities about each other that we liked and were able to share as our relationships progressed. That's part of being a tribe!
Although we have different eating preferences, my friends and I all share a lot in common, a love good quality whole food, adventure, music, and each other’s company, and that’s what really matters. Cheers to it all!
Do your friends or family have certain food preference? How do you handle it?