Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator Julie Cunningham shares the main message she hopes people understand through her book “30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes,” and how to help event attendees with diabetes — how about everyone — enjoy a meal without feeling deprived or worried.
Ensuring a safe meal boils down to the importance of communication and advocating for guests with special diets. Creating and delivering memorable events is the plan. But, if an attendee becomes ill due or food poisoning or a meal being contaminated with listeria, the likelihood of return engagement evaporates. Food safety aside, another way attendees can become ill is by being served a meal unsafe or inappropriate for their health condition. Equally concerning is serving a dish which contradicts a religious belief system or health choice. Food allergies, celiac disease, and diabetes are a few health conditions that require personalized…
August Religious Dietary Restrictions In keeping with my commitment to provide a helpful monthly calendar to everyone on religious dietary restrictions, here are August religious dietary restrictions dates to keep in mind this month. August 1 — Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus Observance & Dietary Restriction The Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus is a two week fasting period observed by Eastern Orthodox Christians to commemorate the death and burial of the Virgin Mary. Beginning on August first, Eastern Orthodox Christians forgo most proteins including dairy products, red meat, chicken, and…
It can be tough to keep up with the dietary restrictions of our attendees and employees. Knowing the holy days that are coming up can take effort because dates change each year and not all of them are included in the standard desk or Google calendar. On top of that, it’s hard to know which religious days are observed with dietary restrictions and what those accommodations would look like on a menu. A religious dietary restrictions calendar is exactly what’s needed. Even though our attendees and employees may not list their religious dietary restrictions and may not provide a handy…
How to Manage A Kosher Event In October after hearing how Bonnie had to plan her daughter’s Jewish wedding last month incorporating two different kosher practices, I asked if she would write a piece on how to plan and manage a kosher event. Below is some of her guidance. When you plan or manage a kosher event it can be overwhelming to those who have no knowledge of what kosher means and even to those who are Jewish and were raised in a kosher home. My experience in planning a 3,000 person event for the Council of Jewish Federations for their General Assembly was…
December and the winter season is a time for celebration! It’s a multicultural holiday season and as we design our menus and activities, we can consider the many opportunities we have for an especially inclusive feast. Here are several reasons we often say “Happy Holidays” as a greeting and farewell during this celebratory season. In order according to the Gregorian calendar: Eid-al-Fitr More than 1,300 years ago, the prophet Muhammad received the Muslims’ holy book, the Koran. Muslims show their love for the Koran and Allah by praying and fasting during the month of Ramadan. The dates of Ramadan change…
It’s Ramadan, which is a time of fasting. This also means there are occasions for fast-breaking. While fasting lasts from sunrise to sunset, Iftar is the name of the communal meal breaking the fast and served after sunset. At the end of Ramadan, there is a three-day festival, Eid al-Fitr, where food is a celebrated religious and cultural experience. Whether you are planning a Ramadan-themed communal meal, a banquet, or a festival celebration, here are a few delicious foods commonly consumed for Ramadan fast-breaking. Dates & Fruits: these are a very popular offering for the after sunset feasts because…
