Admit it. The “who cooked this?” guest can be annoying. This person always wants to know the chef for everything on the table, is quick to have aluminum foil and takeout containers, all while telling you how to make your food better. As much as you want this guest to just stay home in their own kitchen, you know you’d be side-eyed for not inviting this critic to the next function.

In all fairness, some picky eaters have legitimate dietary restrictions and are required to ask about the food for their own health needs.

Instead of worrying about hot foods, these easy cold party food ideas appease health-centric houseguests, those with allergies and those who are just nitpicking for fun.

Entertaining Made Simple: Easy Party Food Ideas

Omnivore guests will flock to the nearest charcuterie, which literally means cold cooked, cured or smoked meats. Choices could include dry-cured pork, salami, salted beef (bresaola) and cooked Italian sausage (Mortadella). But guests who don’t eat pork may turn their nose up altogether at you for having the audacity to serve “swine.”

Try a vegan or vegetarian charcuterie board for the latter crew. Choose options such as Field Roast plant-based, smoked apple sausage; Tofurky Hickory slices; and Lightlife Smart Deli bologna.

Then, there’s the cheese platter, which is usually filled with slices of pepper jack cheese, cheddar jack cheese, Asiago cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, provolone cheese and Brie. Delicious as that may sound, 65% of Africans and African-Americans have some degree of lactose intolerance. No one wants to leave a party feeling bloated, with diarrhea, nausea, stomach pains and gassiness.

Try a few dairy-free options for this crowd. Daiya and Field Roast have plenty of legitimately tasty vegan cheeses. Try Field Roast Chao Creamy Slices, Daiya Medium Cheddar Vegan Blocks or Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda.

Although there are a few milk-based crackers, a sizable amount of saltine and other snack crackers are pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan friendly. However, it couldn’t hurt to have Triscuits, unsalted or lightly salted chips, and almond flour crackers available if your guests are interested in trying something new.

While more popular brands may be universally good for all, the sodium intake can be a deal-breaker. Approximately 55% of Black adults have high blood pressure (i.e., hypertension). Unsalted crackers and unsalted nuts would certainly be a better option for this group of snackers than crackers with hundreds of milligrams of sodium for just one serving (four or five crackers).

You could also try making cashew cheese (which is largely made up of soaked, unsalted cashews and nutritional yeast). Just be sure to warn guests who may be allergic to nuts. CNN confirms that Black adults have the highest rates of allergic reactions to tree nuts and, in any age group, are most likely (50.6%) to report multiple food allergies.

Separate tables and set up a few toothpicks to alert guests as to which foods are where. This can help avoid allergens and ambulance visits.

The fruit tray may be the safest platter on any table, piled high with strawberries; grapes; chunks of watermelon, cantaloupe and melon; pineapples; and sliced oranges. Although there are groups who are allergic to various fruits, this is less common among black people and should be easy party food ideas.

Then, there’s the dessert tray. Revisiting lactose intolerance, milk chocolate cookies, brownies and cake may be just as much of a problem as cheese. But here comes dark chocolate to the rescue; it’s largely dairy-free and made up of cocoa butter fat, cocoa solids and sugar.

In fact, Abbott confirms that polyphenols, which are found in dark chocolate, may improve how well insulin works in the body. This is good news for diabetics, a group that 12.1% of Black people consist of. Although it can be more bitter than a milk chocolate lover is used to, it’s arguably better for sweet tooth houseguests in the long run.

And now your table is set, and you’re proud of yourself for trying to accommodate everyone. You already know you may miss the mark on one guest anyway. It happens. But your easy party food ideas are a reasonable way to leave your guests satisfied even if they don’t leave full.