Several times a year, our social calendar involves an event in which each of us is expected to contribute food to be shared by all. In some parts of the US, this is known as a "covered dish dinner"; in ours, it's called "pot luck". Depending on the event and the organizer, there will be greater and lesser degrees of coordination regarding courses, types of dishes, and quantities to be contributed -- let's face it, unless it's a same-dish/recipe cook-off, even folk without diabetes would rather have more selection than five different pans of mac 'n' cheese, two different types of fried chicken, and twenty apple pies. When you add diabetes, food allergies, and other dietary restrictions into the mix, planning for success can get a bit rough.
Much of the charm of these outings is in the randomness of the selection and the novelty of the recipes. The rest is in knowing that in all likelihood, you will get another chance to taste Jen's superb barbecue, or Walt's incredible apple pie, or Bruce's latest home-brewery experiment, because "it's what they always bring". But it can be a hassle if you are (or someone in your crew is) low-carbing, vegetarian or vegan, or if you (or others in the group) have medical conditions such as celiac, severe food allergies, or even garden-variety hypertension. It can also be a bit dodgy if you need to count carbs for an insulin bolus.
In some of my social circles, it is known that individuals have food allergies, and we ask that each contributor list the ingredients in his or her dish. For the most part this works; the allergies are not so severe that separate cookware -- or a separate kitchen -- is needed to protect the individual from those allergens. In other circles, we might ask for copies of the recipe to be made available, or a first-level nutritional analysis (estimated calories, carbs, protein, total fat, & sodium per serving) -- in addition to, or instead of, an ingredients list. I'm not sure how we'd handle an extremely severe allergy (e.g., someone who cannot be in the same room as a utensil that was once used to hold shelled peanuts or something in which peanut oil was a minor ingredient).
My usual choice for these events is to try to bring something "healthy" -- whether it's crudites, vegan chili, low-carb noodles, or something else depends on the crowd, the time of year, and -- when the signup or event coordination is more highly organized -- what sort of courses are needed to balance the menu. While I don't have a vegan kitchen, I often use vegan recipes -- and while I don't have a gluten-free kitchen, my time in dLife and other diabetes social networks have made me sensitve to providing something that is celiac-friendly as well. In short, I feel responsible for making sure that there is something available for everyone to eat -- even if I am not the event organizer.
Some might suggest that I am assuming too much responsibility in this -- and to be honest, there are times when I say "chuck it" and make something utterly decadent, but that is when I know the crowd, I know there will be something for everyone, and I know there will not be food allergy issues.
Has diabetes changed your attitude towards pot-luck/covered-dish events? Do you bring different foods than someone without diabetes (or than you did before you or your loved one was diagnosed with diabetes)? If you organize these events -- has diabetes, celiac, or a food allergy (yours, or someone else's) changed the way you organize the events or the way you have the food displayed at the day of the event? What information do you require from each contributor before, and at, the events?
Am I my brother's keeper? To the extent that I can contribute healthier foods to the menu, perhaps I am. Are you?
