Veggie options at work lunch?

[Coatz]

Last week at work there was a little work lunch where everybody brought in something, everybody signed up for what they wanted to bring in and it was mentioned that one person was a vegetarian.
I didn't attend the lunch but it was clear from the list that people had signed up with vegetarian options and it was mentioned to me that there were infact no meat options.

I am not veggie however i do enjoy many vegetarian dishes/alternatives and i am fully aware that this is only one meal so meat eaters are perfectly capable of enjoying a veggie lunch. But.. I do find it a little odd that everybody chose veg options despite only one person was vegetarian and many people brought items e.g quorn sausage rolls, quorn sausages etc so it would have been just as easy to buy meat options and a veggie option.

I've worked with them all for years and know that most of them eat meat, we've had previous similar lunches with meat and veggie options so i just found it a little unusual.

AIBU in my thinking?

I am not against this at all and think its great that they've all decided to accomodate somebody who is veggie but there was no instruction to say it had to be vegetarian just a heads up that it might be polite to include a couple of veg options.

Is this the usual in other work places?

It sounds very considerate, and ensures that the veggie person isn’t just stuck with one or two things they can eat, which they might not like. When we’re doing a team pot luck, we try and make sure that all or almost all the food is halal and kosher for the same reasons, and I’d say that there are always six or seven veggie or vegan options.

Well veggie food would be the common denominator, and then everyone would be able to eat everything, rather than one person being restricted. I honestly wouldn't give it a second thought.

I think it’s more common than it used to be. More people are trying to cut their meat intake anyway and there are so many more veggie options than there used to be so if sharing with a veggie would just not have meat or only bring in a couple meat dishes.

I’m veggie and am never offended if people choose to have meat around me but increasingly people are interested in what I’m having and sharing veggie platters (even if they then have a steak for dinner).

As a meat eater I'm often amazed how little choice there is at buffets for vegetarians or vegans. Most people will also take the veggie options as side dishes to their meat-based dish, whereas vegetarians don't have that choice.

I am not sure why this is an issue.

If everyone brought something, then everyone had the option of taking in a meat option and chose not to. So presumably everyone was totally fine with having just veggie options.

Yabu. I think it was pretty considerate and lovely of everyone. This way the vegetarian can't eat everything instead of one or two things, it won't kill anyone to go without meat for one meal

How many people eat meat at lunch though? I would say many meat eaters don't eat meat for lunch.

I love meat but would take a veggie option as I wouldn't be confident enough to cook meat for others. If everyone took a dish then surely if they didn't like everyone else's they would at least like their own?

Sounds to me like you work with an unusually considerate bunch, but that's a good thing.

I'm surprised this happened at the moment to be honest. Surely everyone bringing in food and sharing it around is a golden opportunity to spread Covid?

@NowtSoQueerAsFolk i'm not saying it is an issue at all its just we've had many many work lunches over the years and never has this been the case before. I suppose i haven't given it much thought as im not veggie but previously there have always been vegetarian options (especially if its done by caterers, as it varies between everybody bringing their own or catering when money allows) and then the usual meat options too.

Everybody was aware of what each other were bringing but it seems they were a little surprised it was all vegetarian hence the comments made to me.

If you don't think it's an issue, why are you posting?

Surely the people that made comments to you were more than capable of bringing a meat dish had they wanted one?

I'm not sure what you are hoping to gain from this thread tbh.

I don't eat meat, DD does, but she'd go with veggie option.

I think most people would these days. It's not great to eat meat at lunch!

DD eats meat once a week. Like DH.

In fact, why would you bring in meat to be reheated when pasta, salads, bread, cheese, quiche, sandwiches, cous cous, etc etc would be so much healthier and safer?

No brainer, and cheaper.

@BillieSpain

In fact, why would you bring in meat to be reheated when pasta, salads, bread, cheese, quiche, sandwiches, cous cous, etc etc would be so much healthier and safer?

No brainer, and cheaper.

The meat wouldn't necessarily need to be reheated. You can have chicken pasta salad, quiche lorraine, ham sandwiches... etc

I wouldn’t give this any headspace

Who cares?

Veggie food is usually the first to go anyway as everyone can eat it? Meat eaters will still fill their plate with cheese and onion rolls or salad or whatever. As a veggie sometimes there’s barely anything left for me

Are you just one of those people that can’t imagine not having meat at every meal?

@NowtSoQueerAsFolk i just thought it was unusal as i've stated in the OP and wondered if others thought the same/different.
I'm just hoping to gain some other perspectives whether they agree its unusual or not, i thought that was clear.

If you think my thread is pointless then just scroll by??

Why would this be unusual? Veganism has been at the forefront of society for several years now. Of course, it follows that there’s now more and more people either refusing to eat meat, or eating less meat. I think it’s unusual that you’re so shocked by this. It’s hardly a massive sacrifice - it’s one work lunch

@wingsnthat did you even read my post? I have said i don't mind veggie dishes in the slightest.

@NowtSoQueerAsFolk true, but actually ambient temperature meat in any form is not great sitting around.

@mooonstone it's just unusual for my workplace as previously there have been a mix of several dishes. Usually people would bring in say meat sausage rolls and then some cheese and onion ones or someone would make or buy a cheese and ham quiche and then a veggie one too.
It seems that by mentioning someone was vegetarian that everybody chose a veggie option to accomodate them but then were surprised when there was no meat.

Yeah I read your OP where you stated you find this odd. I mean, you even started a thread about this when most people wouldn’t give it a second thought

I've been at "mixed" buffets at work training sessions where vegetarian options appeared on the tables first, so samosas, bhajis etc. These were chosen by meat eaters, who then had further options down the table, leaving the vegetarians down the queue with the scraps and no further options. I'd expected this post to be something like that. It's nice that everyone went for inclusive food options all their colleagues could eat.

@wingsnthat

I wouldn’t give this any headspace

Who cares?

Veggie food is usually the first to go anyway as everyone can eat it? Meat eaters will still fill their plate with cheese and onion rolls or salad or whatever. As a veggie sometimes there’s barely anything left for me

Yes! The amount of times I've been to a Buffett - with a couple of veggie options - and found that the meat eaters have fancied the veggie stuff so theres very little left!