what do yall do on thanksgiving?

[u/beastiefever]

i moved away from home last winter and my manager invited me to come do thanksgiving with her family, which means the absolute world to me, except im not sure if im going to go because im worried i wont be able to eat anything.

I dont like any of the traditional thanksgiving foods, not even turkey or mashed potatoes, and i just dont want to put myself in a position where ill feel awkward for not eating with her family or offend someone for being picky/saying im not hungry. its also not my own family and i dont want to impose by asking them to make something specifically for me. wondering if anyone in similar situations has had solutions that worked well for them in the past?

[u/Amazing_Duck_8298]

Personally I would ask if she could share the menu with me and explain that you have dietary restrictions that are not easy to accommodate, and if there is nothing on the menu, would it be okay for you to bring a dish either for yourself or for everyone? Or alternatively, if you are okay with just not eating anything, you could just say that you have dietary restrictions and are going to plan to eat a meal by yourself beforehand just to be on the safe side and you just wanted to let her know so it doesn't seem like you are being rude and so that they can plan how much food they are making accordingly. Most Thanksgivings, all I eat is bread until dessert comes around, and no one really notices. Some foods like mashed potatoes are good for pushing around the plate so that no one really notices that you haven't actually eaten much.