Work sustainability policy dictating crap food

@ThisBrickOtter wouldnt be going to that night out then!!

I think the problem is when companies do this they often get crappy carrot sandwiches and don’t get anything nice. The equivalent crap sandwich for meet eaters is probably a bot which is just nicer than some grated carrot in bread.

The best wedding catering I’ve ever had was vegetarian. It can be done really well but I think people put no effort into catering for work events.

Is there any way to feedback (ideally with photos of food waste) and suggest get together isn’t catered at all or some type of preference expression to avoid food waste.
How is it labelled for allergies. Fake imitation food needs ckear labelling eg real cheese - dairy intolerance knows to avoid. Vegan ‘cheese’ made from oil, additives etc may need avoiding by people with nut allergies etc.

I honestly wouldn't mind, if it was nice proper food and with plenty of dairy/egg options.

The fake meat or strictly vegan would piss me off though. You can create loads of nice things for one meal without meat but that doesn't mean processed crap.

It's an illness that only affects people who feel guilty about eating meat but not enought to actually stop.

I think, if they are providing veggie and vegan food it's better if it's not mimicking meat as it's worse than ethically produced meat. I'm veggie and hate being given a vegan option in restaurants-I like my cheese thank you!

I'm with you op, grit your teeth and wait for the next corporate big idea to wash in. Be reassured that it's unlikely to last long and that the tide is steadily turning on this kind of nonsense.

If they are serving "fake meat" options then spare a thought for anyone who is gluten free as their choice will probably be fresh air. When it comes to mass catering you can't please everyone, the most economical option is to provide food that most people can eat, even if it wouldn't be their first choice. Even if it's not veggie or vegan you will get people who wanted chilli rather than chicken curry or pork pie rather than quiche, it's how it goes. Yes its better if you really enjoy it but events like this are what pack up boxes were made for! As a coeliac I always take one.

I’ve no issue with vegetarian and vegan food. There are some great vegan sandwich fillings and picnic foods. I do have an issue when it’s all processed fake crap. I don’t eat processed meat and cheese, so I’m not going to eat processed fake meat and fake cheese.

I also have an issue with businesses which wax on about their sustainability goals and making everything vegetarian or vegan in that vein, who then serve up almond milk, avocados, tropical fruit platters, and salad vegetables in December.

Honestly OP I'd say you need to suck it up. Who expects to have their exact choice of meal at this sort of thing where food is provided? Even if they served meat, it might not be exactly the meat you'd want. And how many of these meals do you think veggies and vegans have had to sit through for years nibbling on some dry bread and lettuce leaves because there wasn't much else provided?

Also it's fine to choose to eat meat, but to pretend there aren't sustainable arguments for veganism and vegetarianism is just obtuse.

I’m guessing you might work at a Uni. YABU- the problem is shit catering and mass catering is often shit.
i went to a conf in another European country, all lunch was veggie with vegan options and it was delicious. No one worrying that all the veggies options would be gone.
is the food inedible to you or are you just foot stamping?

I do understand, but from the perspective that I like plain and simple. I am happy with a ham sandwich, or an egg mayo, or a cheese one. What I don't like are sandwiches or quiches etc. with lots of different things in them, especially vegetables, and I don't like avocado or red/green peppers which pop up a lot. I often struggle with a buffet. Pizza slices often have veg on them, or spicy meat - or both!

When I used to have to attend functions and I thought I would struggle, I had a small pack of biscuits in my bag and I would snaffle one every now and again.

It's difficult to provide food that everyone likes, so I wouldn't complain. I wouldn't mind a meat free buffet as long as there were some basic, simple, plain options and it wasn't pretend meat. That is just wrong!

I am meat fan, wouldn't have issue with veggie buffet at work BUT I do not abide by fake meat and vegan "cheese". If most options had that in I would be grumpy too.
There are so many actually nice and healthy veg options I am eyerolling whenever these are whisked up somewhere.
Also shame about stupid names like cauliflower buffalo wings. Mate, it's a buffalo cauliflower bite. Just call it that

This, and I'm not even vegan or vegetarian!
It includes nearly everyone in my eyes - vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters, allergy sufferers, you can all find something.
If it's just "but I know I won't like it!" then that's not the caterers fault, is it?!

I don't know why people think vegetarian/vegan food is special weirdy food that's only suitable for or attractive to vegetarians and vegans.

Does no-one ever eat hummus, salads, pittas, falafels?

Onion bhajis, vegetable samosas?

Cheese or egg sandwiches?

Spanish omelette, pizza?

Crisps, bread?

Salads?

Veggies don't eat meat for lots of reasons, environmental is often far down the list. Yet we get all the stick when businesses pull this sort of thing.
I rarely eat fake meat, but do have lots of fake dairy.
I will say I've spent many a work meal as a vegan literally just eating dry bread. So tiny violin.

But fake meat isn't very sustainable or healthy, no?

YABU. It's one meal. Sometimes I don't like the food offered at team meals so I just leave it. I'm a meat eater but I don't need to eat meat at every meal.

That's the exact food I want as a veggie.

Take some pocket meat. Pork pie is ideal

Yabu, it's free food. Sometimes my company provides free food that i don't like, so I take/buy my own

It hink you're being quite precious about this. If they are providing food you can eat then what is the big deal? How often do you have dept get together...can't be more than once or twice a month.

Besides, if you want to consume meat 'thoughtfully' I doubt that's what most prepacked sandwiches contain.

Why would eating vegetarian food make you ill?

Your choices arent being taken away because the food your company provides isn’t to your taste.
It’s a bloody sandwich, if you can’t have the occasional meat free lunch that’s not your employers problem. Scoff some chicken after your meeting is done.

My mum told us dinner was sausages and mash the other day, and asked us if the meal was good.

We all politely thanked her and enthused about the sausages as was obviously expected. We were smugly told they were vegan, which was already obvious.

Except my one year old wasn't in on the social niceties, and fiercely resisted any attempts to have any. He even took some out of my mouth and put it back on the plate when I tried to do the "yummy" thing parents do when kids won't eat something.