Catering for vegetarians at a house-warming party, do I need to provide separate food?

[IslandCanary]

Everyone is bringing a dish, so far most of these contain meat/fish (apart from the salad) as we're doing tapas-style.

One couple have just told me they are vegetarian.

Do I need to ask everyone to bring vegetarian dishes instead? Or is it ok to just provide some salad/rice and let them bring a dish they can eat? I don't want them to feel excluded.

I find most vegetarian food bland and unpleasant and would rather have meat/fish dishes to cater for the majority (I'm planning to make spicy chicken wings, someone else is bringing meatballs, another is bringing battered tempura prawns, crispy squid, vegetable risotto etc.

If I need to provide more veggie options does anyone have any ideas?

madcap yes they ALWAYS kick off and are generally best avoided but occasionally I can't help myself

Maid, I've just been reading out your posts to my vegetarian DH and his comment was 'It's vegetarians like her that give the rest of us a bad name and make us look like entitled tits'
Why would you tell me that? That's a terrible thing to say.

Which part of "serve loads of veg, not just a few token dishes" and "a dedicated main option is great" does he disagree with? That's rhetorical, BTW. I don't actually want you to slag me off in private again, then come here and tell me how horrible I am.

Well that was your fault for not making enough of that dish user. Just because most people choose to eat meat some of the time, does not mean that they have to eat in in every single meal.

If you were making two dishes for people to share, you should have made enough of both for most people to have some. If you only make a tiny amount, no wonder it ran out.

I am astonished that all these vegetarians think that if anyone dares to put a sausage roll on a plate at a buffet, that automatically disallows them from touching the egg mayo or cheese sandwiches, onion bhajis, greek salad, crisps etc.

If I saw a buffet with several meat options I would probably only have one or two of things including meat and then would go looking for the salads etc. Why should I restrict what I should eat because the caterers haven't provided a balanced selection. It's not selfish meat eaters, its crap caterers.

A decent buffet should be about 80% vegetarian, with a decent proportion of that vegan (above the bread and crisps) and then about 20% meat, because the meat eaters will only want a couple of bits of meat as part of a balanced plate.

"I was incandescent with rage and hunger"
"just because you fucking fancy it, you'll have the other half over your head."

Omnivores eat meat amongst other food. I think if you are a vegetarian or only eat limited food then if going to a shared buffet the best thing to do is to take a plate of something for yourself and not share it. as long as everyone takes enough food for their family group it doesn't really matter if some people prefer to just eat their own food.
If you go to a housewarming and there's not enough stuff there you like then you leave early and sort out your own food surely?
My SIL is vegetarian and if we're having a family meal I'd ensure she got served first but in a casual buffet I see the food as an add on

To me, things like Spanish omelette, Greek salad, cheese sandwiches, salad, crisps, onion bhajis are simply 'food', they are not a special 'bland and unpleasant' option only eaten under sufference by a small section of the population who has excluded meat and fish from their diet for moral reasons.

oh put your rolly eyes away Pearly it was tongue in cheek - however if you ordered stake in a restaurant - on it's way to your table someone else nicked it and they presented you with a limp bit of lettuce and a tomato would you be happy?

I had specifically requested food some one else had eaten - I think I am allowed to be a teeny bit peeved and hungry

I can't eat most meat it makes me gag - it's mental health related

I've just been reading out your posts to my vegetarian DH and his comment was 'It's vegetarians like her that give the rest of us a bad name and make us look like entitled tits'.

This from someone who would rather fill up on bread and cheese than believe they are entitled to a balanced meal just like anyone else.

steak even!

I used to work with 2 vegetarians who oddly took to naming the food in the staffroom fridge.

I have fond memories of eating a cheese sandwich named 'Kevin'.

I never did find out why the guy opposite gave me a dirty look...

I've only read the first couple of pages but wanted to say I think anyone catering for a party buffet needs to provide more veggie (vegetable) dishes. Almost everyone will want some of these either alongside meat options or as a veggie choice. You can't expect meat eaters to only choose meat options. There's a lot of dietary variety out there. Given a choice people will make a variety of choices
We're a mainly veggie family but I'm strictly a pescetarian as I do eat fish when out sometimes.
At an all day seminar type event I have to remember if I say this that I'll be given a fishy kind of sandwich at lunch time. Whereas of course pescetarians do eat things other than fish - especially veggie offerings.
I think the Indian or Meditteranean style buffets mentioned sound great!

you ate Kevin OMG you heartless omnivore

Trouble is... some posts on here would put me off ever having another party at home with food. Enquiring of each guest what sort of thing they like to eat and "feeling obligated to ensure every guest is fed appropriately"

Luckily, this is MN world and in RL I just don't have this problem! Or if people that come here for a party whinge on the way home, I don't know about it, and it can't be that bad becaue they always come back!

I know, but Kevin's cheese was so soft and creamy

Barbara - you're a joy aren't you! Consideration costs nothing.

I have learned that (contrary to what they tell me), they actually really like vegetarian food so I now cook more (but it seems that no matter how much I cook they will eat that amount). I might try and cook a purely veggie meal and see what they do. (complain, I suspect!)

Kevin's cheese was so soft and creamy

What does that mean exactly? Are your suggesting your reasons for eating the vegetarian option are more important than mine?
Yes. You are doing it whimsically (because, judging by this thread, you don't hold a deep-rooted belief about vegetarianism) whereas I am doing it from genuine conviction that this is the most ethical way to live.

I've said that above and you didn't respond, so not sure why you're still asking it repeatedly on this thread. Others have outlined the same position as me. Why do you keep asking? The answer is YES.

I believe in being accommodating and, if possible/necessary, indulgent of people who express a strong preference from genuine conviction, and would rather see them right than someone demanding from capriciousness or downright contrariness (although obviously, I might not know if you were being whimsical at the time!). For example, I wouldn't eat vegan food at a buffet (unless it was obviously left over at the end of the night, and even then, I'd ask if anyone minded), not even if it looked like the most delicious thing on earth! Obviously, not everyone thinks the same and I go to the chip shop

You haven't addressed vegetarians who simply cannot eat meat. Would you be more inclined to leave veggie food for them?

Why what did Barbara say? I agree with a lot of her posts - especially about 80% of food could be veggie. I think that would often be very popular?

Worra has no shame - no shame at all - poor Kevin and his creamy innards

worra

I had to read it twice...i am so ashamed

Is it unusual to ask guests to your house what their dietary preferences are and then cater to them? I thought that was fairly standard!

Well it was

I was a bit worried about the fridge being named 'SMEG'...

I'm still taking in "Worra's" Kevin creamy cheese!

Nobody is entitled to a balanced meal when their friends make food for them. They do that because they want to socialise and have a good time with their friends. Not because they're obliged to fulfil some sort of nutritional diktat.

The vast majority of vegetarians on here have said that it would be good if there were more veggie sides so that everyone can have some and that it would be good if there was a veggie main purely for veggies

A lot of others have said that its the hosts/caterers responsibility , not the meat eater who just fancies a salad

But you carry on with your "all vegetarian" generalisations (not directed at anyone in particular because i have forgotten all your names...i think its the lack of meat)