For the holidays or birthdays, having these GAPS diet party food ideas on hand will ensure you and your family will never miss out on any of the fun!
My family’s favorite GAPS diet party foods
One thing that I have learned throughout the years of working with people who are healing their bodies through the GAPs diet is this: They think being on GAPS will impact their social lives negatively. Gone are the days of fun get-togethers after church, no more summer barbeques, and birthday parties with no fun.
I am here to tell you that this simply is not true! There are dozens of recipes for party food that you and your family can enjoy.
To help prove to you that GAP-approved meals can make a party fun in all sorts of ways, I created a list to help you plan a fun party that won’t harm your healing gut.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here.
GAPS diet party food nutrition
With the GAPs diet, I strongly believe that it is important that you go all in. What I mean is that you stick to the allowed foods at every stage and let your body heal completely, as directed by Dr. Natasha in her book.
Here are some tips that I have found helped me successfully stick to the foods allowed in every stage of the GAPs diet:
- Plan out your meals in advance. This will stop you from getting hungry and sacrificing your hard work.
- Include your family! I love working on feeding my family whole, nutritious meals, so why not serve foods that are GAPS-approved? Chances are good that they will love the meals and want to support you on your GAPS journey.
- When you are invited to a party, I like to be intentional about bringing snacks. That way, you can celebrate the occasion and still enjoy yourself. For example, if everyone is enjoying a slice of cake, bring along some homemade GAPS cupcakes and enjoy them.
I also like to mention that most of the foods on this list are GAPs approved but not recommended that you eat consistently. Like anything in life, too much of a good thing can still be harmful, which is why the homemade peanut butter cookies are a perfect treat on occasion, but not for every meal.
GAPS diet party food ideas
There are so many party food ideas that you and your guests will love! No matter the type of party, there are so many yummy bites that you can serve for everyone to enjoy.
Here are a few basic categories that I found will help you plan out your GAPs diet party food ideas easily
Easy GAPS diet party snacks for a snack table
Whenever I am hosting a big get-together, I love to set up a large table for more of a grazing feel to feed my guests. I have found that this helps everyone mingle and eat as much as they are comfortable with, without anyone feeling pressure about what they are or aren’t choosing to eat.
When my kids have a birthday party or we have the team come over after a big soccer tournament, setting up a large snack table is the best way to serve guests and remain present.
To help those on the GAPS diet, I always try to have a section of snacks like the one on this list.
- Veggie Tray- dip with raw veggies. There is even a homemade ranch recipe that I love to use
- Fruit tray or Fruit Kabob served with a yogurt dip
- Dr. Becky Plotner has some fun ideas for turning fruit into adorable characters like bunnies or kittens.
- Ants on a log. (Do you remember this classic? All it is is slices of celery with peanut butter and raisins on top and my kids love it!)
- Homemade Veggie Gummies or fruit gummies
- Deviled Eggs (with homemade mayonnaise-find my recipe here)
- Olives (without any added sugar, preservatives, or other additives)
- Pickles (homemade and fermented)
- GAPs cheese crackers (find my recipe here)
- A bowl of mixed nuts*
*Heads up! Just because it is a nut, does not mean that it is allowed in every stage of the GAPs diet. This includes peanuts that are not fresh as well as any nuts that are roasted, salted, or coated.
GAPS diet party food to serve at adult parties
Even though I have young kids, I like to plan times around the year when I can sit and enjoy the company of just adults. This usually looks like a casual game night, mom’s night in, or even a fancy dinner party! They are something that I always look forward to even when I am on the GAPS diet.
Whenever my husband or I are on the GAPs diet, we try hard to not eat out. Since there is such a high risk of cross-contamination and the list of foods to avoid is so long, I find it easier to eat at home. Luckily, there are some wonderful party foods that adults will love and still fit the diet.
These recipes are some of my favorite GAPs recipes to serve at a party:
- Liver Pate – after all, it is a fancy French dip (find my pate recipe here)
- Bacon-wrapped chicken hearts (served on toothpicks) (how to cook chicken hearts)
- Steak Bites
- Tacos with homemade sourdough tortillas
For sit-down dinner parties, things can get even easier. Having everyone come over for a GAPs meal is so simple because there are dozens of meals that anyone would love to try, whether they are on a food-restricted diet or not.
GAPS diet easy party desserts
More often than not, a good party needs a good dessert to make it a festive event. After all, a party usually comes with a reason to celebrate, right? Whether it’s a birthday, the end of a sports season, or a get-together to complete one of the phases of the GAPs diet, it is nice to have a dessert option.
In my experience, this is true whether you have people on the GAP diet or not. Trust me, there are plenty of desserts that your guests will love to help make your party a huge success!
A few of my most requested desserts that are GAPs-approved are:
- Flourless GAPS cupcakes
- Pumpkin muffins
- GAPs key lime pie
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Lemon mousse
- Frozen yogurt or ice cream GAPS-approved
- Fresh fruit with whipped cultured cream
GAPS diet easy party meals to serve
So much of what food you serve at a party comes from the details surrounding the event. I like to take into consideration a few things, like how long is the party. If it is going to be over 2 hours and falls during mealtime, I like to have a meal option to keep everyone full and having a great time.
If you want to serve a hearty meal to go along with the snacks listed above, here are a few meals that everyone can enjoy (whether they are on the GAPs diet or not).
- Drumsticks
- Chicken wings
- GAPS pizza (made with cauliflower pizza crust)
- Chicken nuggets (homemade – not from the freezer section at the market!)
- GAPS burgers with lettuce wraps. Whenever I serve up burgers, I like to make sure I have plenty of toppings so everyone can enjoy
- GAPS condiments- ranch, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise– all homemade
- Fermented pickles
- Hot dogs with GAPS-friendly ingredients
- Hobo Stew over an open fire (This is perfect for a bonfire get-together and an activity my entire family loves. Add the ingredients to a small pot of foil pack and let roast over some open coals. Some ingredients that I love are:
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Herbs for seasoning
GAPS diet drinks
To me, some signs that a party is a success are people moving around, mingling, and having an overall great time. With all of these things happening, chances are your guests will get a little bit thirsty at some point.
Here are a few drinks that I love to have available at any parties that are GAPs-approved
- Homemade eggnog
- Hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows
- Smoothie drinks (my kids love these!)
- Fruit flavored water (try to use organic fruit when it is in season or frozen fruit) Simply slice and let it marinate for a few hours before serving!
- Berries
- Kiwi
- Lemons
- Limes
- Cucumber
- Carbonated water
GAPS diet party food ideas pre-made candy & treats on Amazon
I understand how feeding a family on the GAPS diet is stressful enough. Whether you are hosting or find out last minute that your kid is planning on attending their classmate’s party, I like to have a few pre-made snacks on hand.
Due to the nature of the GAPs diet, the goal is to eliminate foods with preservatives and stick with fresh, whole foods to heal our guts. This makes finding party snacks challenging, but not impossible.
Here are my favorite snacks to pack for my kids (and me!) for any party:
- Seaweed chips (look for GAPS-friendly oils)
- Paleo jerky
- Heavenly Organics Pomegranate chocolate honey patties
- Larabars
- Chomps Beef Sticks
Why is the GAPS diet healthy?
I have been a huge fan of the GAPs diet for many years. Not only has it helped me overcome chronic health issues, live a life with more energy, and feel my best, but it has helped the entire family become their best self. Read more about how the GAPS diet changed our lives here.
I am so passionate about this diet because I have seen firsthand the benefits that GAPs can bring a family. It made such a difference for us that I created Bumblebee Apothecary to help families start their own real food wellness journey- from YouTube videos to articles to a brand new Coaching Membership.
How to make the most of your time on GAPS
Since it uses whole, naturally sourced ingredients to make meals, meals on the GAPS diet tend to be healthier than your traditional American diet. I love that!
For example, whenever I am making GAP-approved burgers, I will take ground beef from a local farmer versus buying meat at the store.
- The GAPs diet also encourages so many fermented foods as well as vegetables that can help our bodies digest to the fullest capacity, and bring balance to the microbiome. As a mom, I love having the ability to prevent inflammation, constipation, and any other tummy troubles that kids can face.
- Another reason I love this diet and consider it fairly healthy is how much sugar is restricted. Studies (like this one from Harvard) show that sugar leads to a lot of unhealthy problems like weight gain, inflammation, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. On GAPS, you avoid all of that by utilizing natural sugars in your recipes to make delicious snacks (like key lime pie, cookies, cupcakes, or any of the other desserts listed above!)
- I have found that people just beginning the GAPS diet are often depleted of specific nutrients and have no idea. They think that feeling fatigued, sluggish with brain fog, and other negative feelings are simply a part of life.
This diet works hard (especially in the first few phases) to only supply food that is jam-packed with essential nutrients so that your body can replace those key nutrients and work to the best of its ability.
- When my family is eating meals according to the GAPs diet, I have found that they are more well-behaved and happier. I think this has to do with the fact that their bodies are running well so my kids argue less, sleep better, and are overall more relaxed throughout their days.
GAPS diet party food ideas video
More healthy recipes
What other questions do you have about applying the GAPs diet to real life?
What snacks to serve at a party when you are on the GAPs diet is one of my most asked questions. Since throwing parties and discussing the GAPS diet just happened to be two of my favorite activities, this was an easy article to write.
I am curious though- what else do you want to know? On paper, the GAP diet seems fairly simple. But when you begin to think about life’s little complications, it can be challenging to know what to do.
Let me know in the comments what other events you are nervous about navigating when dealing with the GAPS diet!
Join our traditional wisdom community, and grab a free GAPS diet getting started guide eBook when you subscribe!
Want to shop for organic handmade skincare products?
Check out the Bumblebee Apothecary Shop here.
Looking for a GAPS Intro meal plan?
GAPS to Go is a 30-day meal plan for the GAPS introduction diet that tells you what to eat each day, with complete cooking instructions, and guidance on when to move to each intro diet stage.
Check out GAPS to Go here.
Follow along with Bumblebee Apothecary
Thanks for stopping by! Be well!
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and opinion. It is for general information purposes only, may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own physician’s medical care or advice. Always seek advice from your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding nutrition, medical conditions, and advice. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of something you have read on this blog.