Called “greedy” at work

I don’t think she was greedy - I think she was gluttonous.

That is beyond excessive.

You went to the buffet four times.

Four times makes me think that you were eating all the food. That isn’t greedy - that is glutinous.

You didn’t consult with any of your colleagues before feeding your face multiple times. If you did someone would have told you that parents were taking food home - which makes me think you aren’t close to people in your office.

It doesn’t matter what the people on mumsnet think of you - multiple colleagues you work with think you took too much.

Did you grow up with food insecurity or do you have a fear of missing out with no root cause?

Maybe the fatties ate them?

I’m a bit surprised at how many people agree the op was being ‘greedy’. The word implies a negative judgement - excess, maybe depriving others. But eating a lot of food in and of itself isn’t a moral act.

I have a colleague who’s notorious for packing it away at work buffets. I always think ‘he eats a lot’ but I would never think of him as greedy - he only goes up for thirds and fourths (and more) when it’s obvious it’ll be wasted otherwise!

eating food that’s been left out all afternoon is minging.

Not muffins and flapjacks surely. I'd eat a muffin even if it'd been left out all night. No one (without specific allergies) died from eating a muffin that's been exposed to the air for more than a few hours.

I wouldn’t have said anything but if I had noticed someone going up 4 times to a buffet I also would have thought it was a bit greedy.

It is when you do it four times!

That’s very rude of your colleagues. Once I called out a colleague who was stuffing her bag with food to take home to her mother… she said it would “do them for their tea”I was annoyed as there wasn’t a lot o everyone and she was taking all the nice things so I said hold on maybe wait til everyone has had their lunch. She was offended but I’m glad I called her out. But for you no way that is very rude to basically call someone greedy .

This!

I’m middle-sized and four plates is a lot from a buffet. Most people would have a plate, maybe seconds and be done. Also, eating food that’s been left out all afternoon is minging.

If there was a buffet in the office at my old job we would all just eat it all day long and no one ever commented. No one wanted leftover food at the end of the day and everyone was happy for it to be taken home. Kids had nothing to do with it.

They were fucking rude. I don't care to save food for people's kids (not everyone has them). I also wouldn't be monitoring what people eat. Someone could have six tiny plates or one absolute mountain. Who cares. It's extremely rude to comment especially in those terms and the food is for the team.

Leftovers to take home are a bonus when people have finished eating.

Ah the teeny tinies are out in force.

You're allowed to do it, so fine in principle, but just going on your own facts - you all had lunch, so presumably back in the office at 1pm at the earliest, more likely 2pm. Then you got more sandwiches. An hour later you got more more sandwiches and cakes. Then by 4pm you went and got more on a mission to use it up. That is a lot of trips to the buffet by anyone's standards. As I say, totally your prerogative but then you can't be surprised at being seen as greedy. I find it hard to resist buffets/office food too but I'd be aware I was pigging out, which is greedy by definition. We're not doing it out of hunger.

Sounds like you were taking a lot

Tbh I would have thought you were greedy going to the buffet four times although I wouldn’t have said it out aloud.
Unless you literally only had a couple of little sandwiches each time, you have probably eaten more than your body needs, which is surely the definition of greedy?

I’d think it was a bit much to go up 4 times in the space of a few hours but wouldn’t say anything, but I would notice.
I’d understand the comments made if you only brought in, let’s say, one small pack of cocktail sausages and decided to take more than your share of everything else. It still doesn’t make you greedy but it would make you cheeky.
However, I have a 7 year-old and would absolutely not be assuming to take any buffet food home for her, I can feed her myself.

I am going to hedge a bet that this is one of those threads the OP doesn't return to.

People are weird about food. Some like to feed other people in an overbearing way, some are trying restrict their own eating and observe anyone who eats more, some obsess about the price of food and want to snag any freebies, some won’t eat in public, some have faked being vegetarian for years, some feel guilty about eating unhealthy food. All of these examples are people I currently work with. Post an example of your lunch/your kid’s lunch on here and all the food weirdos come out of the woodwork. I’m probably one myself!

Four different plates of food is greedy. Very greedy. People in the office have obviously noticed. Hence the post.

Buffets at your work must be absolutely rank. OP was happy to eat this food herself though

In what way does it make sense?

Same!

I would think you are being very greedy going back 3 times and getting sandwiches too each time. But I would never say it out loud. I do think it makes sense to give it to those with kids though, although it should be agreed with everyone

They wanted to give their kids the stray bits from the work buffet that had undoubtedly been touched by multiple people, coughed over and left out all afternoon? In my mind that's akin to dumpster diving! I'm not sure people are aware how many people forgo washing their hands after using the loo, men in particular!

It sounds like a lot of food to eat in what a four hour period? If lunch was early at 12 and your fourth attempt at the buffet was at 4 it really does sound like a lot and people had noticed.

You don't actually say how much you had at lunch time but if you consider "a couple more sandwiches" and "a few more sandwiches" plus flapjacks bites and a muffin to be not very much then I am guessing the actual lunch itself was a lot bigger?

So potentially you could have had what 8-10 sandwiches plus extras with lunch plus more flapjack bites and a muffin and you were still keen to go for a fourth round.

Yes it does sound a lot!