How do you handle dietary restrictions?

[smlewis00]

How do you handle dietary restrictions when you are cooking for a large crowd? What about when you are cooking with someone who has restricitions in your own family? Do you cater to their diet or do you continue to cook the way you always do? Do you make something special just for them?
I have a friend who has decided to become a vegetarian. I invited her over for dinner last Sunday. I had made a lasagna, salad and breadsticks. I usually put ground beef in my lasagna, but because I knew she was coming, I only put the ground beef on half of it. I thought I was being thoughtful and curtious to her decision to become a vegetarian.
She only ate the salad and the breadsticks. She said she could not eat the half of the meat-less lasagna I had made for her because it had been cooked with beef on the other half.
I understand her view looking back. However, how should I cater to these types of dietary needs? Or should I? Should I just invite people over and whatever I make is what we are having? They can just eat what they want and not eat what the don't want? What should I do in future situations?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Just make 2 smaller lasagnes, one with and one without but make sure that you use a veg stock not a beef stock and veggie cheese - lots of cheese is made with animal rennet.

My family (and my husbands family) would cook any meat separately and serve it separately. Everyone had veg lasagne or veg risotto (etc) and those wanting meat had it as a side dish etc, those not wanting meat/fish etc didn't have any, but fundamentally, my beliefs/dietary needs were met and those around me who wanted meat/fish had theirs met as well.

The position is reversed when then come to us for a meal. They get what I eat (effectively vegan + eggs) because mine is the most restrictive diet and I'm not sure anyone would trust me to even know hot to cook meat/fish after being veggie for 30 years!

 

[True2marie]

Whenever I deal with someone who has dietary restrictions, I cook them a special meal. It's a dish they can enjoy, but is quick and easy to make. You can always ask them in advance what they would like or run a few ideas by them.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

When my father got sick he had a restricted diet that he should follow in order for him to get well with the disease. And all the members of the family after knowing that diet and the kind of foods that we eat play a special role with some of the diseases we had we suddenly becomes aware of what is right to eat. So whenever we are all together specially during weekends we see to it that we prepared our foods that my father can eat and at the same time the ones that we can eat also.