Throwing a BBQ party in your backyard may first seem simple enough: fill your backyard with gorgeous furniture, fire up the grill, and grill away. But not everyone can enjoy all the classic BBQ foods we’re all familiar with for various reasons: allergies, religious reasons, health, etc. Whatever it is, don’t make the BBQ menu a deterrent for having wonderful guests to spend time at your party. Here are a few ways to make it more inclusive:
Communicate With Your Guests
Be sure to ask guests in advance whether they have any kinds of food restrictions. It beats them having to arrive at your party and realizing that they can’t eat anything that was being served. Cut the awkwardness and take a proactive step in accommodating your guests. While it is ultimately your guest’s responsibility to communicate with you about their dietary needs, being the first to ask will come a long way.
Have Plenty Of Diverse Options
Be sure to diversify your menu with plenty of protein, carbs, greens, and desserts. For your veggie-loving guests, you should definitely not ignore the non-protein options; be sure that they take just as great by themselves and not seem like an afterthought. For those who aren’t as picky, a diverse arrangement of food will be just as delicious; try a little bit of everything even though you didn’t ask for it. And for drinks, have plenty of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available as well.
Make Ingredients Clear
For all dishes, be sure to be clear on what their ingredients are. You can do this by writing down and labeling what eat dish is and list out any ingredients that might be problematic for some. For example, you should note that a potato salad that you might be bringing contains eggs and milk. And if this is a potluck-style BBQ, be sure that the guests bringing the dishes will do so too.
