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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to chose the vegan option at work cantine?

171 replies

redchocolatebutton · 09/09/2019 14:35

a colleague says iabu. apparently it's reserved for vegan colleagues Confused

I'm neither vegan nor vegetarian.
the vegan option is usually very impressive and tasty. the chef is really creative and the food is very very good.
I want to reduce animal based foods.

sooooo aibu to eat it?

OP posts:
Greyhound22 · 09/09/2019 16:51

I eat chicken and fish at home but I'm fussy about the meat I eat so out I will normally eat veggie/vegan.

I didn't know I wasn't allowed 😆

If there's work training or similar I always put vegetarian as they will obviously make amount depending on how many have asked for it. Doesn't stop all the meat eaters helping themselves to it though. That's when it's a bit off.

CamVegOut · 09/09/2019 16:54

Of course YANBU. The more vegan meals sold, the more that will be made in the future.

violetswordfish · 09/09/2019 17:07

If it was specifically labelled “vegan” (which it must have been, otherwise how would the op know?) or gluten free or kosher or some other dietary requirement then yes of course I would!

But loads of things are vegan and labelled as such. Most chips are vegan. Salads. Vegetables. Soups. I often take a vegan sandwich in shops because its the only option that I fancy. If its the last one then tough, I'm not going hungry so that some hypothetical starving vegan can have it if they go in the shop after me. And I honestly don't think many vegans would expect me to! It's such a strange way to think - if you can eat meat/gluten/dairy then you must eat it or you're being inconsiderate.

speakout · 09/09/2019 17:09

Choose it. If they repeatedly run out of vegan options they will soon get the message.

I eat mostly vegan & vegetarian choices in a restaurant- why not?

BertrandRussell · 09/09/2019 17:14

I’m assuming this is a canteen where there are a set number of each option? If more can easily be made then obviously there’s no problem. But if there are a set number of vegan dishes then then yes, I think it would be inconsiderate for a non vegan to take one unless they were sure all the vegans had eaten.

MitziK · 09/09/2019 17:17

Allergies here - if people at least check they aren't happily tucking into the one thing I can eat whilst I'm still working, I don't see a problem with it.

There is a special place in hell for the utter shit who went into the separate works fridge to help themselves to the food that wasn't just vegan, it was labelled as mine. Work had made a point of accommodating me after five events where I'd been sat with a couple of broken breadsticks because the non meat/non dairy options had been hoovered up off the buffets - and largely left on the plates afterwards - because I had to work fifteen minutes longer than they did, so couldn't get there and go all pointy-elbowed at them.

Seemed like it was less 'the vegan option is nicer' and more 'I want to have the special food she's got because I'm special, too.

applesandpears33 · 09/09/2019 17:18

Aren't we all meant to be cutting our meat consumption? I don't see anything wrong with taking the vegan option if you want to eat it. I often eat vegetarian meals in restaurants not because I'm a vegetarian but because they are often quite inventive and give me ideas for things I could try at home.

MouseInATelescope · 09/09/2019 17:19

I'm veggie and buy vegan for the same reasons, plus I don't like cheese. If more people buy it, more will be made due to demand... buy buy buy!

enjoyingscience · 09/09/2019 17:23

Your colleague is cuckoo for coco pops. Of course it’s fine.

Stealing a vegan meal on a plane = not fine.

Eating in a canteen = obviously fine.

dayslikethese1 · 09/09/2019 17:28

It seems a bit crackers to argue that just because you eat sometimes you should be forced to eat it with every meal. Vegan food is just food and I think the Western world in general needs to get away from the idea that all meals need to have meat in. Maybe you could put a note in the suggestion box or similar to suggest they cook more veggie/vegan as it's so popular?

dayslikethese1 · 09/09/2019 17:28

*eat meat sometimes

Inertia · 09/09/2019 17:30

As a vegetarian, I'd generally notify the organisers of catered work events in advance, so that they can put some food aside if needed. It sounds like the chef is on the ball, and could keep some vegan/ vegetarian food set aside for specific people if required.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 09/09/2019 17:31

Assuming it’s not a pre ordered meal you’re taking, then it’s fair game. They’ll soon increase the amount of portions they make if they start to run low regularly

Agree with this.

If it's somebody's pre-ordered meal, then of course you don't take it, but if it is just available as a choice there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy it.

speakout · 09/09/2019 17:46

Inertia who are these "specific people"?

BertrandRussell · 09/09/2019 17:47

“It seems a bit crackers to argue that just because you eat sometimes you should be forced to eat it with every meal”
Well, yes that would be crackers.....

BlueJava · 09/09/2019 17:53

Possibly her attitude stems from when you had to pre-order vegan or vegetarian food. Ask the chef, obviously chef will say take what you like. Next time she picks you up on it you can tell her she is wrong and you checked.

RosesAndRaindrops · 09/09/2019 18:01

How stupid, who died and made her the Food Police?! Have what the heck you like.
I could get her point if there was a limited number of vegan dishes to go round, but surely if the canteen regularly ran low on the vegan options you'd think they'd clock on and realise that they need to make more of those options available?!
I'm not vegan but do eat a lot of vegan food out of choice. Don't eat much meat at all, but will sometimes.

Surely it's a good thing from a vegan point of view if people consumed less meat.....

MarshaBradyo · 09/09/2019 18:02

Yes you can eat it of course you can unless pre-ordered

ManOfReason · 09/09/2019 18:04

Just identify as a vegan.

73Sunglasslover · 09/09/2019 18:06

If they're running out of the vegan options this needs taking into account by the catering staff. Vegan food can be a healthy choice and you should not be denied that because of someone else's food choices.

WindsweptEgret · 09/09/2019 18:06

I agree with everyone else who has said vegan food is just food. I pick the option I like the look of, which is often vegan or vegetarian because the meat options tend to have too much meat and not enough vegetables. When I cook with meat at home I pack heaps of vegetables in as well.

JustTwoMoreSecs · 09/09/2019 18:09

BertrandRussell Not sure how your work canteen is but at mine (and all the ones I have had in past jobs) you turn up anytime between 12 and 2 and you have a choice of 2-3-4 main dishes. So you have no way of knowing if all the vegans/veggies have eaten yet. Therefore your suggestion would be to never have to vegan option except if you are prepared to wait until 1:55 to eat.

Also, all work canteens I have seen have a salad bar and/or soup bar and/or sandwich bar. So even if the vegan main dish was out of stock there would still be vegan options.

BertrandRussell · 09/09/2019 18:10

The next time there’s a thread where people are saying all vegan food is horrible, and they wouldn’r go to a dinner party if the food was vegan, I hope you all come and repeat what you've said on here!

NoodlesMcGee · 09/09/2019 18:10

Of course YANBU - pretty much anyone can eat vegan and veggie food!

Fill your boots - pilau-stuffed pepper sounds delicious!

Ferretyone · 09/09/2019 18:16

The only downside that I can see is similar to the times when you "reserve" a vegetarian meal on an airline but by the time they get to you others [who have not reserved] have snaffled all those that were available. Meateaters can - of course - eat vegan or veggie but veggies or vegans cannot eat meat.

I would simply speak - in very complimentary terms - to the chef and ask her/him to make sure there is enough for you!