Staying at cousin's house - baby shower

[LCW]

Hi all,

 

After years of just thinking about it, I am finally doing a whole30. Last minute, I made plans to travel by plane to my cousin's house for a baby shower and will be pretty much limited to whatever is cooked there, either for dinner or during the baby shower. There is a lot of family staying at my cousin's house, and I just don't feel comfortable asking for them to stock the kitchen differently or take me into any special consideration when this is an event to celebrate my cousin. Basically, I want to be a guest coming to celebrate, not an added inconvenience.

 

I am pretty intolerant to gluten, so I would definitely plan on eating eggs (though I typically try to avoid for AI purposes) for breakfast (and hoping they have them - I think most people do) or berries. My main concern is for the actual baby shower at this other person's house and then dinner that night (assuming we stay in). I'm not worried I'll be tempted to cheat, more that I'll be hungry and have no choice of food! (this has happened to me before at a friend's family event that lasted a weekend and I just had to eat gluten and dairy, and felt TERRIBLE.)

 

Are there foods I can bring on the plane that are AI friendly (really, no nuts) and can eat to get myself through the weekend? Any tips for how to politely decline (and hide in the corner and eat my snacks and not look wierd??)

[Renee Lee]

I think this is going to depend on how close you are with your cousin. I wouldn't ask/expect them to stock the fridge differently, but call her and say, "hey, this is in the middle of a food elimination thing i'm doing to help my AI issues. can we swing by a grocery store on the way back from the airport? I just need to stock some things." This doesn't make you an inconvenience. Honestly, you have to own your preferences. If you were a vegetarian, nobody would have an issue. if you were diabetic, nobody would have an issue.  For folks that are really really negatively impacted and affected by eating gluten and dairy, most muggles are really understanding about how their food makes some of us feel. you think your cousin wants you to feel like crap the whole time? doubtful. just explain it ahead of time and do whatever you can to take the burden of shopping for rations on your own. borrow the car for an hour? whatever.

 

Just my personal experience, but TSA has never batted an eye at my tupperware of food that I carry on with me. As long as it isn't a liquid, you shouldn't have a problem. I've done steak tips and avocado without issue. hard boiled eggs should be okay too. Just my n=1

[missmary]

YES, bring your own food. I travel often for work and I have brought a wide variety of food in my carry-on without issue. My go tos are: steamed broccoli, red and yellow bell pepper, roasted sweet potatoes, grass-fed beef jerky, macadamia nuts, blueberries, packets of nut butter or coconut butter (I put these with liquids and gels), hard-boiled eggs, packets or cans of tuna and salmon, lara bars, bananas. All of these can stand to be at room temp for a while, then sweetly request some space in the fridge once you arrive.

[missmunchie]

Often when I stay with family I run to the store anyway to pick up stuff for them as a thank-you anyway. Stuff I may use/use up like eggs, fruit, toilet paper, dishsoap, etc. It shouldn't be unusual to ask to make a grocery run when you get there. And if you can figure out what the menu will be beforehand you can decide if it's a go or no-go for you. Maybe you can offer to bring/make something that fits in with the party theme if appropriate?

 

It's great that you want to make sure the focus is on your cousin and this special time in her life. Just because you have particular food needs doesn't need to take away from her special day. Just be a courteous and considerate houseguest, and don't worry about the food thing being a big deal. Enjoy your trip!

 

And Renee, the use of the term "muggles" in this context cracks me up!