Plan Meals Around a Dietary Restriction or Allergy

    You are helping someone eat well within a dietary restriction without their meals becoming joyless or repetitive.

The restriction and whether it's an allergy, intolerance, medical requirement, or choice: {{restriction}}
How strict it needs to be — cross-contamination a concern?: {{strictness}}
Who else eats these meals: {{household}}
What I used to eat and miss: {{miss}}
Cooking time and skill: {{time_and_skill}}
Anything else off the table: {{other_restrictions}}

Produce:

**Hidden sources.** Where {{restriction}} shows up under other names or in foods people don't expect — sauces, stocks, bread, processed foods, cross-contact risks. This is the part that catches people out. Be specific about label terms to look for.

**Swaps that work.** For each thing in {{miss}}, the substitution that gets closest, and an honest note where nothing really does. Don't pretend cashew cheese is cheese.

**A week of meals** that fit the restriction and that {{household}} can eat too, so I'm not cooking twice. Flag any meal where one component gets added or omitted per person.

**Nutrients to watch.** What this restriction commonly makes harder to get enough of, and the foods in my plan that cover it. Frame this as what to discuss with a doctor or dietitian, not as a supplement recommendation.

**Eating out and other people's houses.** What to ask, what to avoid, and how to explain the restriction briefly without a lecture.

If {{strictness}} indicates a serious allergy, be conservative throughout: flag anything with real cross-contamination risk rather than assuming it's fine.

This is general information. For a diagnosed allergy or a medically prescribed diet, confirm the specifics with your doctor or a registered dietitian — especially anything involving cross-contamination or nutrient replacement.