How do I make a simple menu card that tells guests what is actually in each dish?

Use one short line per dish: its name, its main ingredients, and any notable packaged component or topping. Base the wording on the recipe you will actually prepare—not what you usually make or what an older version contained.

For packaged ingredients such as stock, dressing, or a spice blend, check the label on the product you are using now. The FDA says packaged-food ingredient lists and “Contains” statements identify major food allergen sources, and notes that product ingredients can change. A brief menu card is not a substitute for checking those sources. [S1]

Ask whether a guest would reasonably want to know the ingredient is there before choosing the dish. Include central ingredients and anything that could be easy to miss because it is blended in, added as a topping, or comes from a packaged product. You can usually leave out tiny amounts of ordinary seasoning when they do not help explain the dish.

For example, “Roasted vegetables” is vague if the dish also has tahini dressing and sesame seeds. Try: “Roasted carrots and cauliflower with tahini dressing and sesame seeds.” For a topping served separately, say so: “Rice noodles with vegetables and bottled peanut sauce; chopped herbs served separately.” Check the bottled sauce’s current label, and check again if you change brands. [S1]

Avoid an “allergen-free” or “safe for” promise based only on a recipe check or a short card. Checking the recipe and packaged-food labels can provide ingredient information, but the supplied FDA guidance does not establish that a homemade dish is allergen-free or medically suitable for a particular guest. It also says ingredient information should be read in full. [S1]

Keep the card factual and offer to go through the full recipe and current packaged-product labels with the guest before serving. If you cannot confirm a detail they need, say so plainly rather than guessing. That gives them information without turning the card into a safety guarantee.

Here is a sample using hypothetical ingredients. Replace these with what you will actually use, and check current labels for packaged ingredients:

Dinner menu

• Tomato and white bean soup — tomatoes, white beans, onion, vegetable stock, and herbs. • Green salad — lettuce, cucumber, and sliced apple; dressing served on the side. • Pear crumble — pears, oats, flour, butter, and brown sugar.

Before printing, compare every line with the final recipe and the products you actually bought. Update the wording after substitutions, remove ingredients you did not use, and make clear whether toppings are included or served separately. For packaged foods, read the current ingredient list and any “Contains” statement rather than relying on memory or an old note. [S1]

If relevant, add: “Please ask me if you need the full ingredient details.” This invites a conversation; it does not claim the dish is suitable for someone’s particular needs.