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Sugar free house guests

(71 Posts)
Mel2137 Sun 18-Jul-21 20:45:30

Hi All,
I hope you were all enjoying the weather. Here is a question...I am sugar free and alcohol free (only 9 days!). I am due to visit friends. Is it rude to refuse cake and dessert (and alcohol)? I don't need anything extra to be provided so it shouldn't be a problem. My question is, would you be annoyed if I was staying with you and didn't want to join in with dessert, cake and booze? Please be honest. It takes me gets to get back on track once I break it and I just prefer how I feel without it. Help!

JackyB Mon 19-Jul-21 09:10:11

I agree with the others above; lots of sensible advice. It's not as though you're a picky eater. I have often catered for vegetarians and quite honestly, I wouldn't notice if someone drank alcohol or not.

Perhaps you could take something you would eat, such as a suitable loaf or rice dish (I have no idea what a sugar-free diet entails although a colleague at work did have to come off fructose which was extremely limiting ).

Just give your hosts plenty of warning, as everyone has said.

Bluefox Mon 19-Jul-21 09:12:03

I would absolutely have no problem with that, you could perhaps take along some sugar and alcohol free alternatives so that you can join in, perhaps some fruit and soda water with lemon or lime juice.
Good on you, sounds extremely healthy. ☺️

trisher Mon 19-Jul-21 09:19:37

I think it depends on who you are visiting and if you have to ask I fear it might be the sort of people who would be offended. I have friends who I would just warn in advance and they would accept that (possibly with a bit of ribbing during the visit), but there would be others (less close) where I would just keep quiet and take a small piece of something and eat a little of it. Partly I think because my mother drilled into me that a guest must cause as little trouble as possible for their host.

NotSpaghetti Mon 19-Jul-21 10:20:53

Maybe I didn't explain myself properly. It's about how far the no sugar goes.

I cooked for someone on a keto diet recently and they do eat sugars of all sorts (maple, coconut etc) but not refined or processed ones.

Dates have sugar in them, so does fruit juice and even vegetables. Someone I met some years ago avoided carrots and parsnips because they were too sugary (!) I don't expect this is what the OP meant but we do eat a lot of hidden sugars - in all sorts of things if we don't cook everything ourselves: samosas, tomato based dishes (such as lasagna) and sauces, bread etc.

I just want to know where sugars start and end for this person.
Then I would happily cook for them - and also make a pudding for them, but one that we all could enjoy together.

Regarding alcohol, this isn't a problem. No one would think that these days. I'd ask what the OP prefers to drink instead and have that
available.

dogsmother Mon 19-Jul-21 11:02:23

Depends on how far you are takin* it.
I did it for diabetes and was massively strict, nothing more than 10g in 100g carbs. If you are going this far I would contact them and say that you wer3 being particularly fussy currently and to avoid causing any inconvenience to them could you organise your own eating or chat about it to save any misunderstandings or embarrassment.

PaperMonster Mon 19-Jul-21 13:38:29

notspaghetti I avoid both of those veg because of the sugar content! Used to love parsnips too.

felice Mon 19-Jul-21 13:54:33

Please tell your hosts in advance, I host and cook for a lot of large events. I always send out an email asking people to tell me what they do or do not eat, wether allergies or dislikes.
One young lady did not reply and announced that she was 'disgusted' that I had not catered for her allergy.
when I pointed out that she had not told me and there were plenty of foods on the very large table which she could eat, all of which were clearly labelled her comment was that all the food should have been suitable for HER. She got short shrift and huffed all afternoon.
I have had some right Divas in my long catering career.

Cabbie21 Mon 19-Jul-21 13:57:14

I wouldn’t mind at all, but I would like to be told in advance, as otherwise I would probably feel obliged to bake a cake or make a pudding.

Kamiso Mon 19-Jul-21 14:17:40

Wouldn’t mind as long as I was given notice. We only really have puddings and cake when we have visitors so it might be irritating to be left with uneaten treats.

sharon103 Mon 19-Jul-21 14:24:38

It wouldn't bother me at all. I'd let your friends know before hand though so they know not to buy too much food or drink and have to throw it away.
They may not mind getting some sugar free stuff and eating it themselves.
Well done.

Mollygo Mon 19-Jul-21 14:37:35

I’d appreciate being warned beforehand. Refusing a cake -can always be eaten by someone else but if I’d catered a 6 portion dessert and someone suddenly didn’t want it, I might say nothing, but I would be miffed.

M0nica Mon 19-Jul-21 15:22:13

I would always let my host know if I had any special requirements - and this includes non requirements, like no sugar or alcohol. It would be no different from telling someone you were now a vegetarian or vegan.

Nothing is more irritating than going to some effort to plan to entertain someone then finding out they will not eat or drink something on your menu or cannot do something you planned to do and they had done in the past.

Jellybean345 Mon 19-Jul-21 15:44:48

I always make a point of asking my guests beforehand if there is anything they don’t like or can’t eat.
As a hostess I would nt mind at all if I knew in advance it’s easier to plan something special for everyone then .

NotSpaghetti Mon 19-Jul-21 16:48:58

PaperMonster

notspaghetti I avoid both of those veg because of the sugar content! Used to love parsnips too.

Yes. It was so long ago!
And I'd not thought about, say, diabetes then.
Obvious really.

NotSpaghetti Mon 19-Jul-21 16:51:20

Mel - definitely tell them as I'd want to make some sort of treat - even if it was a nicer cheeseboard for example. I'd want there to be things we all can eat.

Marjgran Tue 20-Jul-21 10:56:48

I would mind if I had spent ages making a pud and choosing wines so tell them NOW! Then, no problem

icanhandthemback Tue 20-Jul-21 11:00:42

I warn people and will sometimes bring anything particular I can eat so people don't feel uncomfortable about eating when I am not. As a diabetic I don't expect people to be offended if I choose not to eat in the way they do and even if it is a low carb, high fat diet I am doing, it is for my health. I don't expect to be catered for, I do expect people to respect my choices whether they agree with them or not. They would get the same courtesy.

Pedwards Tue 20-Jul-21 11:03:45

I agree with many of the posts on here. I have done the blood sugar diet too and it’s changed the way I eat and drink, I feel better for it. I do think you should let them know in advance, just good manners really. Taking some non alcoholic alternatives is a good idea.
Good luck and enjoy your weekend.

jaylucy Tue 20-Jul-21 11:05:15

As long as you make your hosts aware before you go, there shouldn't be a problem. You could always say that you have been told by your GP to avoid it all , then you should hopefully not get the "Go on, one slice/drink etc won't hurt!"

SJV07 Tue 20-Jul-21 11:06:41

I have coeliac disease, and still find lots of people have problems with a gluten-free diet. It is a necessity, not a fad, as some think it! They are the ones who so kindly 'forget'. I have now been Alcohol-free for over two years. Still eat chocolate tho'!

Witzend Tue 20-Jul-21 11:07:48

I would want to know well in advance, that’s all, and would be very irritated if that wasn’t the case.
More than once I’ve had guests who told me only after they’d arrived that they were veggie or diabetic. Both in the same family (distant relatives of dh) funnily enough, but different occasions.
They’re now on my ‘never again’ list.

Alioop Tue 20-Jul-21 11:20:30

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest, I'm always happy just with water and I love fruit for my sweet fix. Your choice and well done.

Battersea1971 Tue 20-Jul-21 11:25:36

It wouldnt bother me at all. Is there something else you would like in place of pudding. If you would like fruit,I would do a fruit salad! I suppose you could always take whatever it is you would prefer to drink. Tell your host in advance, but dont make a big issue of it

CarlyD7 Tue 20-Jul-21 11:29:24

I eat mainly keto and avoid all sugars (including things like maple syrup, any kind of so-called "healthy" sugars like honey, and anything that ends with -ose). It's tricky when you're doing it simply to feel better rather than for a recognised health issue like diabetes but I agree with others - tell them in advance and offer to take a pudding or "cake" that you can eat, to save them any trouble. If we're staying as guests, I usually say "get me raspberries or strawberries" (which are lower in sugar than you'd think) and take my own coconut yoghurt (something like Coyo) or a soya yoghurt, and 85% chocolate. Try to make it easy for them.

Aepgirl Tue 20-Jul-21 11:31:14

Stick to your guns - well done. However, you should warn your hosts in advance so that you don’t have to keep apologising for not eating all the delicious food that has been prepared.

From you list of ‘no no’s’ Shropshirelass, what are you allowed to eat? Not being rude, just curious.