There are many common medical dietary requirements that can change the way we cater to friends and family at meals and large social gatherings. Each one is an opportunity to learn something new and discover new dishes and ingredients. Here are some of the most common medical dietary requirements and how you can cater to them.
Celiac Disease
A common misconception that home cooks and professional chefs have about celiac disease is that it is the same as gluten intolerance. Though there are similar dietary guidelines for caterers to follow for both ailments, any celiac can tell you that the disease and its effects are much more than simple gluten intolerance.
Celiacs need to eliminate all forms of gluten in all food and beverages in order to avoid discomfort and enjoy a nutritional diet. This includes all baked goods, beers, and bread where even a small trace of gluten could be used as a stabilizing agent. Gluten can cause many problems in celiacs, including weight loss, vomiting, abdominal pains, and bloating.
Dysphagia
This condition can prevent people from swallowing some foods and drinks, often depending on their consistency. People of all ages can be affected by dysphagia. It can often affect seniors and the elderly, and younger people may suffer from dysphagia as part of another condition or as the result of a medical procedure.
Providing food and beverages for people with dysphagia can be easy to do with the help of the products from the Simply Thick LLC Company. With their help, you can thicken most food and drinks to a consistency that is palatable to sufferers of dysphagia. Juices, sodas, coffee, tea, and many other food and beverage products can all be used with a thickener to cater to people who have difficulty swallowing.
Lactose Intolerance
People with lactose intolerance have difficulty digesting one of the primary carbohydrates in milk. This means they cannot digest any dairy products such as cheese and cream as well as milk. Lactose intolerance can be difficult to cater to without relying on dairy-free and lactose-free products. Fortunately, many manufacturers provide alternatives for people with lactose intolerance.
It is important to remember that ingesting dairy products can cause a lot of discomfort to someone who is lactose intolerant. Even if only a tiny amount of a milk-derived product, such as cream, is used when preparing a dish, it can cause abdominal pain, bloating, and other uncomfortable reactions.
Diabetes
This disease is closely associated with sugar, but there are many different foods that can be inappropriate for someone who is diabetic, not just foods that are high in sugar. Ingredients with a low glycemic index (GI) are often seen as more suitable for diabetics as they do not cause blood sugars to spike after consuming them.
It is also important for diabetics to try and stick to a schedule when eating to help balance their blood sugars throughout the day. This can sometimes mean changing the timing of meals in order to provide for diabetic guests and family members.
Medical dietary requirements are an opportunity to learn new dishes and cooking techniques. Do not see them as preventing you from making your favorites, but as a chance to discover new foods and new culinary delights.