As a host, you should always ask for allergies or other dietary restrictions from your guests. I find it easiest to include this on the invitation. While specific food allergies should be easy enough to figure out, you might not be completely familiar with all the food allowed or prohibited on various diets.
Below are descriptions of the various diets you might encounter along with guidelines for diets avoiding gluten. The list of “What’s In” and What’s Out” contains the strictest list of food. For example, while some vegans will eat honey, it’s generally not considered vegan. While wine would be considered vegetarian/vegan by most people, the process to make it actually uses animal products which places it on the ‘out’ list. Many people who follow these diets may have a less strict following so you should inquire if you have any questions.
Alcohol is only mentioned when it’s expressly prohibited or actively encouraged.
| Lifestyle Name | Description | What’s In | What’s Out |
| Atkins | High protein, low-carb. | Meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs, dairy, oils, nuts, most vegetables, berries. | Rice, pasta, whole grains, beans, potatoes, peas, corn, sweet and starchy vegetables, sugars, processed food. |
| Celiac disease/ gluten intolerance | Celiac disease is chronic immune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten. While some people may not have Celiac disease they are overly sensitive to gluten. | All food except those containing gluten. I.e., all meats, seafood, eggs, dairy, rice, legumes, nuts, vegetables, fruit, sweets. | Wheat, wheat berries, wheat bran, wheat flour, barley, rye, many salad dressings, processed meat or any food that contains any of the following words: barley, rye, spelt, semolina, bulgur, couscous, durum, Worcestershire sauce, beer, soy sauce. |
| Halal* | Diet for observers of the Islam faith. | Beef, lamb, goat, poultry, that has been slaughtered according to Islamic law, fish, all other food. | All food ingredients produced from animals which were not slaughtered according to Islamic law. Pork and all pork products, shellfish, alcohol. Food containing gelatin, casein, enzymes, emulsifiers. |
| Ketogenic/Keto | High fat, adequate protein, low-carb. No more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. | Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy fats, low-carb vegetables, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, butter, berries. | Grains, legumes, rice, pasta, beans, high-carb vegetables, vegetable or seed oils, fruit, sugar. |
| Kosher** | Diet for observers of the Jewish faith. Do not serve meat and dairy at the same meal. | Beef, lamb, deer slaughtered according to Jewish laws. fish, eggs, dairy from a kosher animal, grains, legumes, rice, pasta, vegetable oils, nuts, vegetables, fruit. | Pork and pork products, beef cuts from the hindquarters (flank, short loin, sirloin, round and shank), shellfish, grape products (but not whole grapes). |
| Lacto Vegetarian | The same as a vegan diet with the addition of dairy. | Diary, grains, rice, legumes, pasta, nuts, vegetables, fruit. | All meat and seafood products, eggs, wine. Food with the following ingredients: keratin, tallow, carmine, lard, gelatin, and albumin. |
| Low-Fat | Low in total fat, unhealthy fat, and cholesterol. Servings should be no more than 3 grams of fat. | Fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, grains, legumes, pulses, lean protein. | Full fat dairy, snacks made with partially hydrogenated oils, red meat, fried foods, eggs and egg yolks. |
| Mediterranean | Based on the traditional eating habits found in southern Italy and Greece. | Lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, vegetables, fruit, wine. | Beef, pork, processed meat, refined grains, processed food, butter. |
| MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) | Designed for brain health | Poultry, fish, eggs, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts, olive oil, leafy green vegetables, berries, wine. | Red meat, whole-fat dairy, margarine, fruit, pastries, sweets, fried food, processed food. |
| Paleo | This plan strives to mimic what humans most likely ate in the Paleolithic era. | Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, oils, vegetables, sweet potatoes, low-sugar fruits. | Grains, rice, legumes, pasta, corn, dairy, potatoes, peanuts, vegetable oils, refined sugar, salt, processed food. |
| Pescatarian | The same as a vegetarian diet with the addition of fish and other seafood. | Everything except meat. | Beef, pork, poultry, lamb, or any other meat. |
| Vegan | No foods of animal origin. | Grains, legumes, pasta (as long as it doesn’t contain eggs), nuts, vegetables, fruit, sweets. | All meat and seafood products, dairy, honey, wine, pasta made with eggs. Food with the following ingredients: lactose, whey, keratin, tallow, carmine, lard, gelatin and albumin. |
| Vegetarian/Lacto-ovo vegetarian | No meat or seafood. Dairy and eggs are OK. | Everything except meat and seafood. | Beef, pork, poultry, lamb, or any other meat, seafood. Food with the following ingredients: keratin, tallow, carmine, lard, gelatin and albumin. |
| Whole 30 | Thirty day elimination diet. | Meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, treenuts, seeds, healthy oils, green beans, snow/snap peas, clarified butter/ghee, | Grains, legumes, pasta, dairy, sugars, alcohol (not even for cooking), processed food, carrageenan, msg or added sulfites. |
*Most Muslims I know eat vegetarian when away from home and abstain from alcohol completely, even in desserts. The use of Halal meat is not assumed so none of the meat dishes listed in this blog are identified as Halal. There are other proscriptions including insects, reptiles and birds of prey, among other meats, but as these are not common, I omitted them for space considerations.
**Keeping kosher is more than just a list of foods, it is also about how the food is prepared and the utensils that are used. If someone who keeps kosher has accepted an invitation to your home and knows you do not keep kosher, they most likely won’t expect you to adhere to the strict preparation rules, but will adhere to the food restrictions, like not eating pork or shellfish nor dairy with meat. That said, using Kosher meat is not assumed so none of the meat dishes listed in this blog are identified as Kosher. There are other proscriptions including insects, reptiles, birds of prey, and kangaroo among other meats, but as these are not common, I omitted them for space considerations.
Is there an error in the table? While I didn’t include a completely exhaustive list of every single food, if there is a glaring error, please let me know.