A Comprehensive Guide to Special Diet Catering

Being a caterer, serving nutritious and flavoursome food should be your first and foremost priority. But you know what? There is one thing whose utmost importance can overlook this fact. Food allergies! What do the customers have to do with the impressive nutritional content and delish servings when they can't even taste your meals? 

Food allergies are common in Australia, with 1 in 10 babies, 1 in 20 teens, and 1 in 50 adults supposed to suffer from any specific food allergy. Understanding this, caterers should put in efforts to incorporate such dietary requirements in their catering. This will help them stand out among the crowd of caterers, winning the hearts of the customers.

At Hey, Crois! we pride ourselves on being a prominent name in special diet catering. As experts in catering, especially when accommodating customers' food diet requirements, we have gathered an ultimate guide to special diet catering. Dive in to explore!

What Do You Mean by Food Allergies?

Food allergies symbolise a reaction of the immune system in response to certain food or nutrients. Antibodies in the blood fight off these food particles, considered pathogens. The severity of allergic reactions depend on the amount of food consumed. 

However, even consumption of a little of that allergen can trigger severe life-threatening reactions in the body, including difficulty breathing, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, itchy skin, breaking out on a rash or hives, heartburns or strong chest pain, swelling of esophagus and anaphylaxis.  

The 14 most common food allergies include celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soybeans, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites.

4 Most Common Food Allergies in Australia

Let’s now have a look at the details of the four most common food allergies in Australia!

1. Gluten-free / Coeliac Disease 

Gluten-free or Coeliac Disease means intolerance to gluten, a protein commonly found in grains like rye, triticale, barley, and wheat. Those suffering from this allergy can't eat bakery items, like bread, biscuits, pies, certain kinds of pasta, and gravies. No doubt these have gluten-free alternatives, but they are expensive and sometimes hard to find. However, this dietary restriction isn’t easy to cope up with. 

What are the Reactions?

Note that gluten intolerance and Coeliac disease aren't the same. You can call them chronic and acute versions of the same kind of condition. With gluten intolerance, the reactions are somehow mild, as people experience only short-term belly and body pain. On the other hand, Coeliac disease causes long-term harm to the body. This includes diarrhea, a blistering rash, blotting, and severe abdominal pain. 

What Food to Replace?

Common alternatives for gluten-containing food options are millet, corn, polenta, gluten-free bread, gluten-free kinds of pasta, potato, buckwheat, rice noodles, rice, soybeans and other legumes.

2. Dairy Free / Lactose-Free

Dairy-free dietary reaction implies a complete NO to every dairy product, from milk to butter, cream, and dishes like custard, dairy delights, and more. On the other hand, lactose intolerance means you can include dairy products in your diet if they don’t feature lactose in them. You can call dairy intolerance a more complex one than that of lactose. 

What are the Reactions?

Reactions of dairy intolerance include hives, bloody stools, an upset stomach, vomiting, trouble breathing, loss of consciousness, and even anaphylactic shock. Contrastingly, lactose intolerance reactions include bloating, diarrhea, stomach gurgling or rumbling, nausea and vomiting, and gas. The former can impose life-threatening risks on individuals.  

What Food to Replace?

There is no shortage of dairy-free alternatives in the market. These include soya milk, yoghurts, some cheeses, almonds, hazelnut, coconut, quinoa rice, oat, and potato milk. 

3. Nut Allergies 

Nut allergies are another type of allergy that is becoming more and more common in Australia. Nut allergy corresponds to the immune response against a certain protein in the nut. Recognising them as viruses, their bodies react against them, eventually eliminating every particle of that protein. 

Common nut allergies include walnut, pecan, hazelnut, almond, cashew and pistachio. In around 50% of cases, children allergic to one tree nut are allergic to others too. 

Do you know:  According to research, 1.8 – 2% of children and 1.1 – 2% of adults are currently diagnosed with these intolerances. 

What are the Reactions?

It’s quite a serious allergic reaction that includes difficult or noisy breathing, persistent cough, difficulty talking, swelling, tightness of the throat, paleness, etc. Most of the time, reactions take place within an hour and, in severe cases, within a few minutes of consuming nut products. 

What Food to Replace?

Nut-allergic patients can eat anything that's nut free. To replace nuts and peanuts in kids with this allergy, you can rely on seeds, like roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds. These can be sued as a replacement for nuts in everything, including granola bars, butter, and bread.

Are you looking for a Corporate Catering for any of your events in Brisbane with dietary restriction requirements, we got you covered. We also do delivery with guarantee time provided, please see our full catering menu here. 

4. FODMAP

FODMAP is a diverse and widely covered allergy that has grown over a few years. FODMAP refers to the accumulation of any carbohydrate leading to irritable bowel syndrome. People with this diet are supposed to follow a diet with low levels of carbohydrates. FODMAP stands for:

F - Fermentable

O - Oligosaccharides

D - Disaccharides

M - Monosaccharides

A - And

P - Polyols

Some allergens in this condition include:

• Fructose: found naturally in fruits, fruit juices, honey, and some vegetables
• Lactose: exists in foods containing animal milk, i.e., dairy products like butter, yogurt, cheese, etc. 
• Fructans: found in wheat products, like bread, pasta and cabbage, broccoli, onions, shallots, chicory root, etc.
• Galatians: found in certain legumes, seeds, algae, and certain buds
• Polyols: found in stone fruits and apples

What are the Reactions?

As mentioned above, FODMAP causes bowel problems along with stomach pain, gas, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. Severe reactions include cramping and highly sensitive gut experiences within a few hours of consumption. 

What Food to Replace?

They can rely on a diet with low FODMAP levels. Some food options include Grains like rice, quinoa and oats; eggs, meat, and almond milk; vegetables like eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes; and fruits like grapes, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. 

What Do Dietary Restrictions Mean?

Dietary restrictions refer to the limitations imposed on what a person can eat. These are mostly backed by allergies but not always, as sometimes certain lifestyle changes, social choices, religious beliefs, and health crazes lead to these restrictions. 

For instance, those committed to sustainable living shift to vegan or vegetarian diets. Other examples include Hindus not eating cows and Muslims eating only those food items that are termed halal in their religion.  

Most Common Dietary Restrictions

The most common dietary restrictions include Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Kosher, and other Religious and cultural needs. Hop on below to have a look at the details of these restrictions. 

1. Vegetarian

A vegetarian diet is a self-followed dietary restriction, i.e., one opts for it; they are not allergic to other diets. Recently, the diet has been hyped, as more and more people are concerned about animal rights and other environmental concerns like pollution. 

According to numerical statistics, 12.1% of the entire population, i.e., 2,500,000, have embraced a vegetarian diet. This trend has, in turn, favoured the catering businesses, as vegetable-based meals are pretty easy to make instead of meat-based ones.  

A vegetarian diet can have different forms, including:

• Lacto Ovo vegetarian – Avoids eating fish, meat, and poultry but allows eggs and dairy products
• Lacto vegetarian – Avoids eating fish, meat, poultry, and eggs but allows dairy products.
• Ovo vegetarian- Avoids eating fish, meat, poultry and dairy products but allows eggs. 
• Pescetarian – Avoids eating meat and poultry but allows fish and sometimes eggs and dairy products.

2. Vegan

A vegan diet includes strictly employing avoidance of meat, poultry and any products derived from animals. Statistics show that 2% of the Australian population follows this diet, primarily based on plant products. These include vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits and plant foods. A vegan diet can be great for those suffering from dairy allergies, as the meals included in this diet are pretty safe to consume. 

Ensuring no use of meat-based products can be easier, but crafting a menu with no animal-based products can be trickier. This diet mainly relies on fruits, vegetables, plant-based dairy alternatives, nuts and nut butter, soy, legumes, sprouted or fermented plant foods and whole grains.

3. Paleo

This diet focuses on the concept of eating foods humans might have eaten during the Paleolithic Era. This area lasted from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. Modern paleo diet includes fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lean meats. It’s gaining popularity in Australia for its weight loss benefits. 

However, when working on a catering order with Paleo diet requirements can include herbs, spices, and oils sourced from nuts and fruits. On the other hand, legumes, sugar, artificial sweeteners, highly processed foods, dairy products, trans fat, and some veg oils like corn oil should be avoided. 

4. Kosher

This is a religious dietary restriction that bounds its followers to follow dietary guidelines set by traditional Jewish law. These guidelines include detailed instructions on how the food should be consumed to how it should be produced, processed, or prepared. Some main kosher food categories include meat and meat-based products, dairy products, and pareve. This diet permits eating beef, lamb, and goat meat; however, pork is prohibited. 

Some catering dishes for Kosher diet plans include Sweet and Sour Duck Sauce Chicken, Kosher Russian Potato Salad, Smoky Cedar Plank Salmon, Khoresh Bademjan, and Israeli Potato Bourekas. 

5. Religious and Cultural Needs

Other religious and cultural needs include Muslims' Halal diets, and others include people not eating meat or fish, with monks having special dietary restrictions. Other cultures like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and more have their dietary compliance. 

However, when catering for any of these specific diets, the very first thing you need to do is research well, make a list of prohibited and loved ingredients and meal options and then craft a menu out of it. During the preparation, ensure to stay cautious. For instance, if you are working on a nut-free and with nut catering at a time, both of them should be prepared in separate areas, as even strains of impurity can lead to triggering allergic reactions. 

How “Hey, Crois!” Helps People with Food Allergies and Dietary Requirements?

Hey, Crois! is an Brisbane-based catering service offering the best catering menu to the local office workers.  As the name suggests, we excel in best-tasting croissants, but that's not the only thing on the menu. we offer great catering menus for corporate, brunch, lunch, finger food, and morning or afternoon tea.

Acknowledging the rising demand for special diet catering, we try our best to come up to our customers’ expectations. If you want your order with special dietary requirements to be accommodated, get in touch with us via a call or an email.  Our team member will inquire you about the menu details and the dietary requirements, as we consider it our responsibility to deliver delish food when satisfying dietary needs. 

Wrapping It Up!

This article covers all the information you need to know on special diet caterings from gluten-free and dairy-free to vegan, vegetarian, and Paleo diets. By opting for certain strategies and considering the right meal choices, you can win your customers' hearts, bounding them to return. 

Long story short, catering for special dietary requirements is growing in popularity every coming day and Hey Crois! is here to make thing simpler and easier. So, ensure to get in touch with us for your next office catering. We assure you that our hand-crafted menu will ensure to take care of your guests’ dietary requirements. Hope you find this info worth reading! Stay tuned for more!