These days it seems like everyone's on some kind of special diet -- whether it's your vegan brother, vegetarian friend, or gluten-intolerant hubby. Which makes entertaining, or even cooking a basic family meal, a real challenge. Our solution? Experiment with these easy dishes that are sure to tickle everyone's fancy... even finicky "low-fat-no-sugar-no oil" Aunt Sally!

BREAKFAST

• Pancakes  Whip up a batch of vegan pancakes (use cornmeal or rice flour if you need to avoid wheat). Serve with an array of tasty toppings like pure Grade B maple syrup, honey, raw walnuts, whipped cream, and fresh fruits. Stewed fruits (simply heat up apples, blueberries and/or apricots in a pot) are also a delight. Oh yeah, and for those dairy-lovers: lots of BUTTER!
• Fruit Salad  There's nothing as lovely and luscious as a big bowl brimming with colorful, juicy fresh fruits. You can easily customize the mix to suit your guests' tastes and/or allergies. Grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, bananas, peaches, kiwi, and the list goes on and on!
• Yogurt Bar  Offer up bowls of plain yogurt along with soy, coconut, and goat milk yogurts (all available at Whole Foods or health food stores), along with a mix of heavenly add-ons -- nuts, granola, dried fruit, fresh fruit, honey, cinnamon, and flavored preserves.

LUNCH

• Tea Sandwiches  They're delicate, super elegant, and tasty, too. Choose from a variety of breads to satisfy all  -- wheat, spelt, white, rye, gluten-free. Then work those fillings! Try cream cheese and cucumber, nut butter and sugar-free fruit spread, tomato and basil with soy mayo, egg salad, roasted pepper, and olive and cilantro.
• Grain Salad  Cook up some brown rice or quinoa and serve it up with a variety of mix-your-own fixin's like toasted slivered almonds, pine nuts, crumbled feta cheese, black beans, grilled corn, chopped basil, parsley and lemongrass, sliced celery, and salsa.
• Quesadillas  How could anyone resist! Grill up corn or flour tortillas with black beans, sautéed onion, red pepper, and mushrooms, along with regular or soy cheeses. Top with salsa and guac, of course! All you need are tomatoes, avocados, onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

DINNER

• Pasta  Use regular or rice pasta and serve primavera style (lots of veggies) along with grilled bacon or prosciutto on the side, for the meat-eaters to sprinkle on. Or create several pesto sauces like regular (basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil and pine nuts), artichoke (artichoke hearts and olive oil) or simply toss with an olive spread.
• Vegetable Stir Fry  Get creative and choose from broccoli, edamame, water chestnuts, celery, bamboo shoots, carrots, cauliflower, okra, green beans, squash, and fennel with olive oil or butter. Offer guests delectable add-ons like grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, toasted cashews, and sesame seeds. 
• Mixed Grill  This is one of the easiest ways to cook food. Fire up the 'cue and make skewers for meat-eaters, fish-only eaters, and vegetarians/vegans. Check the labels of marinades as some use tamari, which can contain gluten.

• Sorbet  It's dairy-free and oh so decadent. Plenty of flavors are available too -- from coconut and chocolate to mango, passion fruit, lemon, and strawberry. Go wild!

For more tips on living stylishly, check out The Foxy Files and our latest book, Curves Rule And Flat Is Fabulous: Sexy, Stylish Looks For Every Figure.