In this gluten-free holiday survival guide, I'm sharing my top tips to make the holidays easier on the gluten-free diet along with what you should pack, recipe ideas that taste great, and tips to feel more included in the celebration, too!
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Gluten-Free Holiday Survival Guide
Why The Holidays Are Stressful
Navigating the holidays when you're gluten-free is stressful. Hands down!
With so many food-focused events, (no matter your religious beliefs), they can quickly become overwhelming, and fast!
Here are some of the most common stressors for gluten-free folks during the holiday season:
I'm sure you could resonate with at least one (maybe more) of these. Between the fear of getting sick, the unwanted attention, the missing out on traditions, and being away from home, it's easy to quickly become overwhelmed by holidays.
The holidays are supposed to be a time when you can ENJOY yourself, spend moments with family and friends, and eat tasty dishes!
But for gluten-free folks, we end up dreading them instead of enjoying them. Hence why I created this gluten-free holiday survival guide in the first place!
Let's change that with a strategy that works!
Gluten-Free Survival: The CALM Strategy
To help make the holidays LESS stressful, I want to walk you through the 4-step strategy I teach in my social events mini-course.
It's called the CALM Strategy - named to remind you to stay calm, but also to give you action-based steps you can take to stay safe. These steps can prevent overwhelm and also promote balance after social events.
Let's think about the CALM Strategy and apply it to the holidays.
Step 1: Control or Choose the Food.
As often as you can, choose the activity (this can be the food!) to give yourself as much control over the situation as possible.
Can you host the holiday?
Can you choose the menu or sides?
Can you bring your own food?
Can you incorporate some non-food-related activities to take the pressure off?
If not, make the decision to choose the food YOU want to have, and bring your own safe meal. This will ensure you feel less anxious because you are the one that created the food, to begin with. So that means you know exactly what's in it and how it was prepared.
Is it more work to do this?
Yes. But it gives you peace of mind knowing your food was safely made.
Step 2: Advocate or Speak Up For Your Gluten-Free Needs.
This is the tricky one! Self-advocacy can be hard, but the holidays are a crucial time for that. It's the practice of speaking up for your diet.
Can you talk to the host before the holiday?
Can you ask questions about the food prep?
Can you ask for other non-food activities to be included in the day's event?
Speaking up for your needs will help your host understand how to accommodate you. These conversations can be uncomfortable, but with time, can get easier. And if your family or friends don't completely understand your diet just yet, this will help them remember for next time.
Step 3: Locate & Rely On Your Support.
Support is KEY for social events. Your partner, parents, siblings, family, friends, or anyone else that supports you can make things less scary.
Can your support system come with you to the holiday?
Can they sit next to you at the dinner table?
If not, can you have someone on standby you can text to vent your feelings?
The gluten-free diet can weigh heavily sometimes, especially during the holidays. Being able to shift the weight and share it with others can help us feel less alone and reduce the burden.
Step 4: Make time to rest and recharge.
The holidays can be hard. You might feel nostalgic for food you can no longer eat, or miss out on activities/traditions you can no longer do. Additionally, you might feel awkward speaking up for yourself, or socially uncomfortable with the attention.
If you've ever felt like you want to crawl into a corner after the holidays because of your diet, I get it!
The best way to recharge after events where you feel "left out" is to do something INCLUSIVE afterward to make you feel better - something that won't draw extra attention to you, and will allow you to feel a little more "normal" once again.
Have a gluten-free bakery in town?
Go there and order something and revel in the fact you don't have to draw attention to your diet or say A WORD.
Feeling exhausted from all the mental gymnastics of speaking up?
Cancel plans. Stay home. Do nothing. Read a book. Color. Binge a show on Netflix. Listen to music. ENJOY doing things for YOURSELF and not having to explain anything to anyone.
On edge after watching out for gluten in your family's kitchen all week?
Prepare your own food from the comfort of home so you don't have to worry.
Want to participate in a holiday tradition that doesn't involve food?
Check out this list for some ideas!
My #1 Holiday Tip:
Bring your own favorite foods and holiday treats, so you don't miss out!
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving dinner for 2 in 2020! 
Some of my favorite gluten-free holiday cookies!
Don't make the holidays harder on yourself.
The best way to enjoy the holidays without fear and to have the foods you are really craving is to bring a DELICIOUS holiday gluten-free meal to enjoy!
You don't have to share anything with anyone (unless perhaps, they are also gluten-free!) and this will make sure that you can CELEBRATE the holiday knowing your food is both safe AND delicious.
You don't want to sit there and watch everyone else eat pie and cookies without you. So make sure you bring something you'll want to eat.
Gluten-Free Holiday Recipe Ideas
These are all recipes you can find here on my website. Many of these recipes will taste so good, your friends or family won't know the difference.
Appetizers
Gluten & Dairy Free Potato Leek Soup
Main Course
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes
Gluten-Free Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Gluten-Free Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Desserts
Gluten-Free Christmas Cookie Recipes
Not a big cook or baker? No worries!
See if a meal delivery service or local restaurant is making gluten-free meals you can order. Or, visit a local gluten-free bakery or restaurant for a dessert to enjoy yourself!
Holiday Checklist: Don't Forget
Here are the things you should make sure to have with you this holiday season if you're gluten-free so you can feel included, eat safely, and enjoy your holiday.
Make sure you remember that last one - it's a doozy. If something does go wrong, have compassion for yourself. Mistakes happen. We are human. Rest, recover, and move on.
Want to feel confident for the holidays?
Now that you know the CALM Strategy...it's time to put it into PRACTICE for your next holiday event!
Whether it's a holiday dinner, work party, or baking swap...
You'll know exactly what to do and how to prepare for the holidays with this mini-course!
With the Gluten-Free Guide to Social Events, you'll learn how to reduce social anxiety during the holiday season using the CALM Strategy.
PLUS you'll get:
-50+ ready-to-use scripts for exactly what to say in those socially awkward moments when someone questions your food, your diet, or your health
-20+ ideas to recharge after social events involving intense amounts of speaking up for your diet, so you can feel normal again
-Step by step roadmap for exactly how to stay safe and feel prepared for restaurants, bars, parties, weddings, work events, and more
What other tips would you add to this gluten-free holiday survival guide?
How do you handle the holidays on a gluten-free diet?
Let me know in the comments!
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