I don't know what happened to my family. When we were kids, a picnic was grilled cheeseburgers/hot dogs, turtle soup, and a lot of ice cream.
Now, here is what we got:
1.Brother- High blood pressure-low fat, low salt
2.DH- lactose intolerant-no dairy
3.Nephews- Vegan/Vegetarians, some eat fish, some dairy, some organic with no GMO's
4. Sister is gluten-free
5. Oldest son has gall bladder issues, he doesn't eat red meat.
6. DIL doesn't want young grandchildren to be exposed to peanuts/honey.
Now, everyone is very understanding that their various dietary requirements causes havoc with the hostess, so they often bring their own dishes. That being said, as a hostess, I want to serve as many people as I can. The veggie chili is my go-to recipe, I serve it with various toppings: cooked sausage/bacon, cheese, onions, etc., so everyone can have what they want.
I almost run a Kosher operation so the 'meat' utensils aren't mixed with the non-meat, etc.
The falafel/hummus served in Pita or corn tortillas are good, too.
Thankfully, cake and ice cream still works. ;)