DEAR ABBY: When does dieting become rude? I have always enjoyed inviting friends and family over for dinner. But lately it seems everyone is on some kind of diet and "can't eat that."
I fix healthy meals -- free of fats, sugars and salt. If someone has a dietary restriction or wants to pass on dessert, I am fine with that, of course. I don't like it, though, when my carefully prepared meals turn into leftovers or get thrown away off someone's plate.
Why would anyone accept a dinner invitation and then turn into a picky guest? Would eating an average serving of a good meal once a week blow someone's diet? -- LOST THE JOY OF COOKING
DEAR LOST THE JOY: I'll answer your questions in reverse order. Eating an "average serving of a good meal" once a week could blow someone's diet, depending on the kind of diet the person is on. And the reason someone who is on a severely restricted diet would accept a dinner invitation on a weekly basis might be because he or she wants to see you, wants to see some of the other guests or doesn't want to be left out. But for a conclusive answer, you need to query the dieter.