What is the dietary requirements form form template?
Planning meals for a group means knowing who's vegan, who avoids pork, and — most importantly — who has a food allergy and how serious it is. A dietary requirements form collects all of that in writing, well before the day, so the organiser and the kitchen can plan.
The form asks the questions a chef actually needs answered. Beyond which foods, it asks how serious the reaction is, whether 'may contain' traces are acceptable, and — for severe allergies — whether the person carries an adrenaline auto-injector, with a reminder to tell staff on the day as well. Diets, other requirements, strong dislikes and drinks preferences follow on a separate page.
Each response is saved to your FileIt vault as a PDF, and the Responses table gives the caterer a single list of everyone's requirements.
- Best for
- Event organisers, conferences, weddings, schools, venues and caterers
- Filled in by
- Each guest or attendee — or someone booking for them
- Time to complete
- About 2 minutes
- Includes
- 14 allergen checkboxes, severity and trace questions, diets, dislikes, sharing consent
Who uses a dietary requirements form form?
- A conference collecting dietary needs for lunches and the evening dinner
- A wedding couple gathering guests' allergies for the caterer
- A school trip organiser collecting pupils' dietary needs for the residential centre
- A corporate away day booking a restaurant for a team
- A retreat or residential course planning several days of meals
- A club dinner where the venue needs numbers for each menu choice
Questions on this dietary requirements form form
20 questions over 4 pages · includes conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 About you
- Your name*
- Email*
- Phone
- Event, booking or group
- Who are these requirements for?* Me · Someone else in my party
- Their name* asked only when it applies
- Is this for a child?
- Meals you'll be having Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Snacks and refreshments · Drinks reception / canapés
2 Allergies & intolerances
- Any food allergies or intolerances?*
- Which foods?* asked only when it applies Peanuts · Tree nuts · Milk · Eggs · Fish · Crustaceans (e.g. prawns, crab) · Molluscs (e.g. mussels, squid) · Wheat / gluten · Soya · Sesame · Celery · Mustard
- How serious is it?* asked only when it applies Intolerance — discomfort, not dangerous · Allergy — a reaction that needs avoiding · Severe allergy — risk of anaphylaxis
- Can you eat food that 'may contain' traces?* asked only when it applies Yes · No — it must be completely free of it · Not sure
- Do you carry an adrenaline auto-injector? asked only when it applies
- Anything the chef should know asked only when it applies
3 Diet & preferences
- Diet* No special diet · Vegetarian · Vegan · Pescatarian · Halal · Kosher
- Other requirements Gluten-free by preference · Lactose-free · Low FODMAP · Suitable for diabetes · Low salt · No pork · No beef · No alcohol in food · Soft or texture-modified food
- Strong dislikes
- Drinks Happy with alcoholic drinks · Non-alcoholic only · No preference
4 Confirm
- Sharing your details*
- Accuracy*
The dietary requirements form form, page by page
1 About you
Name, email, optional phone, the event or booking, whether the requirements are for the person filling it in or someone else in their party (with their name), whether it's for a child, and which meals they'll be having.
2 Allergies & intolerances
Any food allergies or intolerances? is required. Yes reveals a checklist of 14 common allergens with Other, then how serious it is, whether 'may contain' traces are acceptable, and a detail box for the chef. Severe allergies ask about an adrenaline auto-injector and show a reminder to tell staff on the day.
3 Diet & preferences
Diet — none, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, halal, kosher or other — then other requirements such as lactose-free, low FODMAP, suitable for diabetes, no pork or soft food, strong dislikes and drinks.
4 Confirm
A note that busy kitchens can't always rule out cross-contact, then two required agreements: sharing the details with the kitchen and serving staff, and that the answers are accurate.
Make the template yours
- Remove the meals list if there's only one meal
- Add your menu choices as a question so guests pick a dish at the same time
- Add the caterer to notification emails
- Set a close date a week or two before the event so the kitchen has final numbers
- Collect identity if you're sending it as a request to named attendees
- Edit the kitchen note to reflect what your caterer can offer
Tips for a better dietary requirements form form
- Send the form with the invitation or booking confirmation, not the week before
- Treat severity and 'may contain' answers as seriously as the allergen itself
- Give the caterer the export, not a retyped list
- Label allergy meals clearly on the day
- Follow up with anyone who reported a severe allergy
- Remind guests to update you if anything changes
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you chose, the organiser is notified, and the guest receives a copy if emailed copies are on.
Export the Responses table to CSV to give the caterer one list with each person's allergens, severity, diet and notes. The form doesn't plan menus; it makes sure the right information reaches the people who do.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Dietary requirements form form: frequently asked questions
Is this dietary requirements form free?
Yes. It's part of the Forms app on every FileIt account, including the free plan.
Which allergens does it list?
Fourteen common allergens — peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, wheat or gluten, soya, sesame, celery, mustard, lupin and sulphites — plus an Other option.
Can one person fill it in for a family?
Each response covers one person. Someone filling it in for another guest chooses 'Someone else in my party' and gives their name, then submits again for the next person.
Is the information kept private?
Responses are stored in your FileIt vault. The consent question asks guests to agree to their details being shared with the kitchen and serving staff.
Can I close the form before the event?
Yes. Set a close date in the form's settings so late changes come to you directly.
Does it guarantee allergen-free food?
No. It collects the information the kitchen needs. What can be offered is up to the kitchen, and the form reminds guests that cross-contact can't always be ruled out.