5 Must-Read Social Dining Tips for People with Dietary Restrictions
If you have dietary restrictions, eating out with friends and other company can pose unique challenges. Of course, social dining should be enjoyable and carefree—but a variety of contributing factors can end up leaving you feeling awkward and uncomfortable.
In fact, a 2019 study from Cornell University found that both children and adults with food restrictions are more likely to feel lonely when they can’t fully participate in sharing meals with others. However, I want you to know that isolation and discomfort aren’t inevitable if you need to stick to a certain dietary protocol for any reason.
Below, I’m sharing 5 tips for eating out with friends if you have dietary restrictions so you can stay present, confident, and comfortable through any social dining scenario.
Types of Dietary Restrictions
To begin, there are many different dietary restrictions that may apply to you, a friend, a family member, or someone else in your dining party/at your social event.
Different types of dietary restrictions include but aren’t limited to:
gluten intolerance or sensitivity (i.e., Celiac disease)
lactose intolerance or dairy-free diets
vegan and plant-based diets
vegetarian diets
keto diets
common food allergens (e.g., soy, nuts, corn, eggs, fish/shellfish)
food restrictions due to diabetes
cultural and religious dietary restrictions, such as kosher and halal
Luckily, the food and beverage industry has come a long way over the past few years to accommodate people with certain dietary restrictions. For instance, more restaurants offer food items on the menu that are compatible with a range of food restrictions that go beyond being vegetarian or vegan (and aren’t simply steamed veggies on a plate). Plus, an increasing number of supermarkets—and not just higher-end grocery chains and niche health food stores—stock options free of many ingredients that provoke food sensitivities and allergies.
While more options are available than ever to accommodate different types of dietary restrictions, it can still take a bit of effort to navigate the dynamics of social dining. After all, it’s one thing to stick to a healthy diet when you’re at home or at a restaurant on your own terms—and it’s another to be a guest at someone else’s house or to attend a social dining event when you’re not sure what the menu will be.
5 Social Dining Tips for People with Dietary Restrictions
If you have dietary restrictions and want to be able to eat out with friends and family with ease, follow these tips so you can enjoy dining socially without having to make any compromises.
1. Be Open About Your Dietary Restrictions
Luckily, these days it’s completely normal to communicate your dietary restrictions—and you should feel free and open to do so.
If you’re invited to an event, let the host know if you have any food restrictions. Worried that it might make you sound picky or demanding? On the contrary, communicating your restrictions can help both you and your host since it will:
save you from any awkwardness if you have to pass on appetizers or the main course
prevent symptoms if you choose to eat triggering foods to be “polite”
help inform the host’s menu, portions, and costs if they’re cooking or catering
offer a chance to expand offerings for other guests who may have food restrictions
Of course, you’ll want to graciously let the host know on an “FYI” basis (rather than doling out demands for an extended menu that caters only to you). It shouldn’t be much of a hassle to ensure that there will be something for you to eat, especially if the event will be in someone else’s home. In that case, you can even…
2. Bring Your Own Dish
You may very well be in the clear if your social dining event is at someone’s home (versus at a restaurant or catered venue). Whether the private party is potluck style or if the host cooks or caters, your best bet may be bringing your own dish to share with others. (Might I suggest whipping up my dairy-free, gluten-free lasagna?)
This social dining tip is great for people with dietary restrictions since it:
ensures you have something to eat that won’t trigger digestive symptoms
helps keep your healthy habits and/or cultural dining protocols on track
offers an alternative for other guests with similar food restrictions
If your social dining event is intimate and/or the attendees are people who are close to you, even better! You can fire up a group chat to discuss what will be on the menu and what you’ll bring based on your dietary restrictions and your friends’ food preferences alike.
However, if you’ll be dining socially at a restaurant, be sure to…
3. Research the Restaurant’s Menu
If you aren’t new to frequenting restaurants with food restrictions, this social dining tip will likely be a no-brainer for you.
If you plan to eat out with friends, family, or colleagues at a specific restaurant, always look at the menu online to see if there are appetizers, main dishes, and sides that are compatible with your dietary restrictions. Further, if you see a menu item you like with a certain ingredient that’s a no-go for you, don’t be afraid to call the restaurant ahead to ask if they can prepare the dish without this ingredient. In many cases, you’ll be pleased to learn that the restaurant can accommodate your needs.
When it comes to this social dining tip, preparation is the name of the game. After all, you won’t want to hold your server—or the rest of your dining party—up to ask about every ingredient and request substitutions/exceptions… especially if you learn too late that they’re unable to accommodate them. Plus, if you’re on the shy side or harbor some embarrassment based on your food restrictions (psst… let’s work on that!), you can save yourself discomfort by doing your research ahead of time.
Yet sometimes life is a bit more unpredictable and there will be occasions for which you’ll be unsure of what’s offered on the menu. In that case, you’ll probably want to…
4. Eat Before Your Social Event
I know, I know: this option isn’t ideal, especially since eating with others helps build relationships, among many other benefits. But if you can’t break bread—both figuratively and literally, for my gluten-free peeps—on account of your dietary restrictions, this social dining tip is necessary to ensure that you don’t:
go hungry at mealtime
submit to social pressure
cave in and reach for food you’d normally avoid
You don’t necessarily have to have a full feast at home before your social outing. However, you may want to have at least an appetizer or a small plate before heading out so you’re not ravenous in the face of foods that aren’t compatible with your body or beliefs.
There’s still a decent chance that there will be foods on your approved list, so you shouldn’t worry too much about the menu being completely out of bounds. Remember: If anxiety takes hold when it comes to dining socially with dietary restrictions, you’ll be missing out on the joys of eating with others.
5. Set Boundaries, But Also Go Easy on Yourself
Finally, it’s important to set and stick to boundaries when it comes to dining out with food restrictions.
To begin, in the face of social pressure, be sure to stand your ground. If you follow the first social dining tip shared above, you’ll preemptively save yourself discomfort and any fears of being rude if you have to turn down certain foods—particularly those that hosts prepare themselves.
If necessary, you can always thank them and politely decline with statements like:
“That looks incredible but [X ingredient] usually triggers bloating for me”
“I’m a bit full right now but I’ll keep an eye on it for later”
“I’m actually craving [X dish] right now so I’d like to save my appetite for that”
However, if you actually do want to try a food that you normally wouldn’t have on a typical day, a bite or a small portion shouldn’t lead to catastrophe. Above all, it’s important to go easy on yourself, eliminate stress, and eat mindfully to have the best experience both socially and for your own body.
In fact, as I shared last month, stressing over food can actually worsen GI symptoms such as bloating and stomach pain. So if you want to commemorate a special occasion with a special food, know that there is a time and place (and right amount) to allow yourself to expand your plate without having to completely upend your dietary restrictions.
Final Thoughts
While social dining can be a minefield for those who have dietary restrictions, it surely doesn’t have to be if you follow the top tips I shared above. With the right preparation and mindset, any fears or anxiety about eating out with friends if you have food restrictions can be put to rest so you can fully enjoy every moment and every bite of food.
On a final note, this is something we work on in my functional health programs. We provide you with the tools to navigate any challenging social setting and feel confident setting your boundaries. If you want this on top of additional help managing digestive distress, keeping your diet on track, and pinpointing the root causes of your biggest health issues, let’s chat!