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?

Well as you said they all signed up I presume they could all see what others were bringing in, which ensures you don't get 20 plates of quiche and nothing else.
Any of them could have said oh look loads of veggie options I will bring in some chicken drumsticks

@1starwars2 obviously i dont go around checking on people's lunches haha but i see what people have brought in the fridges and i often eat alongside colleagues so i know they often bring things like ham/chicken/tuna sandwiches. There is an occasional van that comes by and people will get sausage,bacon baps etc.

That's just what i see though, of course they may bring veggie options some days.

Everyone had free choice what to bring in so don't see the problem, just happened they all thought the same.

If they had all thought they would just bring meat in hoping someone else would bring veggie that wouldn't have been a problem either, just coincidence, the vegetarian would need to accommodate their own restricted eating habits in their contribution.

I don't think there is a "usual", just luck. Personally when we used to do this we all say what we are bringing in so there aren't too many duplicates and it is a bit more balanced (and not 15 packs of Doritos and dips!)

@PineappleWilson

I can understand your frustration, i suppose i have been that inconsiderate person who eats the veggie options as well as the meat ones and haven't thought about leaving it for those who actually are the vegetarians.

Part of the point of my thread was to hear different opinions and replies like this make me realise things i hadn't thought about so thank you!

I don't think I would have even noticed

How lovely that people are being considerate to the vegetarian, the animals, the environment and everyone's health. As a vegetarian, I love hearing about things like this because I've seen nothing but progress over the last 20 years.

What lovely considerate people you work with.

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.

Why were they surprised when they could see what others were bringing and why were multiple people commenting to you about it? I'm veggie and other than thinking the others were really nice, I wouldn't have given it a second thought, nevermind post about it a week later.

Vegetarian is easier when you need to transport food without refrigeration and usually cheaper too. I actually doubt that it was everyone being super considerate but suspect it was everyone doing what they wanted to bring. Which is fine. Even people who love their meat don't object to an occasional meat free lunch surely?.

@slashlover i have no idea! The list was sent around to everybody so they could all see it. It wasn't multiple people, two people made comment to each other that everything was veggie and then one of them made the comment to me, mostly as they were surprised. I don't know if they all felt the same.

Personally i think that despite the list and people saying they were bringing quorn sausage rolls and quorn scotch eggs that a few people thought that might mean they would bring both the meat option and the veggie option as that is what is usually done.

So ask the person commenting when they didn't bring a meat option?

Maybe they didn't want to bring two of everything as it's a hassle? If everyone brings two quiches, two lots of sausage rolls etc then that's going to be an awful lot of food.

I don't think I would have even noticed.

Me either. I’m not vegetarian but I wouldn’t think to bring a dish with meat in it to lunch. People in my experience are pickier about meat than veggies and then considering food safety and expense, veggie is easier. Plus, it’s only one odd lunch.

Much better to bring something that everyone can eat.

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

I didn't say I thought it was pointless. I said I wasn't sure what the point of it was. That's different.

Korn is vile, and would put off even my vegetarian friends.

"Vegetarian" options are normal and basic for anyone, I don't know one meat-eater who must have "meat" in every single dish, no one is carnivore.

Most people wouldn't even notice everything is vegetarian.

Threads like this always make a false distinction between 'meat eaters' and vegetarians/vegans. Most of us are omnivores, not just meat eaters. At any buffet, most people will take a bit of several things, including food that happens to contain no meat or fish.

That is only a problem for the vegetarians/vegans if there isn't enough food with no meat/fish for everyone to have some, as there's then a risk that the v/vs are left with nothing to eat at all. If the vegetarian/vegan options are most of the food, or even all the food, then everybody gets a choice. Job done.

*QUORN

FFS

i suppose i have been that inconsiderate person who eats the veggie options as well as the meat ones and haven't thought about leaving it for those who actually are the vegetarians.

That's probably your answer then. People wanted there to definitely be enough for the vegetarians. Meat eaters can eat meat and vegetarian options, vegetarians can only eat the latter. It's depressingly common for vegetarian options to almost be an afterthought in catered situations, with only a small amount provided, and they often get eaten by the non-vegetarians.

It would be the norm in our office for the majority of food brought in to be vegetarian.

I think nowadays there are a lot of people trying to eat a bit less meat for environmental reasons, which wasn't very common in the past, so this is why you may see a change, as people are more familiar with vegetarian options, and more sensitive to those trying to eat less meat.

Have people actually complained? If not what is the issue? Perhaps they want to try something different on these occasions - that is part of the point of pot luck lunches.

If you are going to limit the number of veggie options then be prepared to put barbed wire around them and label them veggies only. IME meat eaters all home in on the veggie options like wasps to honey. Having a majority of dishes suitable for everyone means everyone gets some choices.

Maybe all of your colleagues really like the vegetarian coworker and that's why they made an effort?

I'm surprised people are still having "bring a dish" lunches during a pandemic. Are you in the UK, OP?

I'm also confused about why you're posting or what your question is. There's certainly an undercurrent of pursed lips...

I have noticed people becoming more considerate of vegetarians in recent years. At some training sessions etc the leader has told vegetarians to go to the buffet first to make sure they get something, for example. It's nice.

I think shared food events like this should be 80/90% vegetarian with a good few vegan options. Maybe just have one or two meat or fish options, but not compulsory.

After all, most people like things like onion bhajis, cheese sandwiches, crisps, cous cous salad, falafel, hummus, pittas etc.

Otherwise, you risk everything being very samey with lots of pastry and/or processed pork. So if a meat eater decides they want a bit of variety, people get snippy about them 'taking all the vegetarian food'.

Considerate colleagues, thats a first 🤣
Anyone else loving that the ads on this post are for Quorn and Couldron?! 🤣