"He eats meat, but can't eat any processed meat."

[Flangelica]

If someone said this to you when you asked about dietary requirements for a child, would you think they were massively w*nky/snobby, or is it socially acceptable and fine?

(for example, if you were hosting a playdate/sleepover and asked a parent their child's dietary requirements)

I wouldn't think much and cook a roast chicken

I'd say it was a preference rather than a requirement but I would respect it if they were coming for tea or something.

Perfectly acceptable plenty of families choose not to eat processed meat.

I tend to avoid it as much as possible.

processed meat like mince, sausages etc made me throw up as a child. I had a sausage with some nasty gristly thing in it and it put me off completely.

Would absolutely depend on if its a medical dietary requirement as in they struggle to digest it, or a wanky preference!

If it was a preference rather than allergies I'd be a bit peeved given the cost of meat at the moment

I wouldn’t attach negative connotations and just check what the child particularly enjoys eating.

I'd feel mildly miffed at the implied suggestion that I might otherwise feed the kid turkey twizzlers but then I would let it go.

I think they meant they like it live on the 🐮🐄.

But then, chef-ery has never been my forte.

Can't you just bung a chicken in the oven?

I'd think it was fine. Could be a health preference, but could also be an allergy to other ingredients and preservatives which are found in processed meat. If you said 'doesn't eat', I'd assume the former. If you said 'can't eat', I'd assume the latter.

No obligation to serve meat though.

I'd just clarify what was ok and not think anything more of it. People have all sorts of reasons for eating or not eating various things.

It's socially unusual but makes sense from a health POV. It would be more helpful for the parent to clarify with "so he'd eat chicken sandwiches but if you're serving ham sandwiches/cocktail sausages/pepperoni pizza then he'll have the veggie option".

Wouldn't bother me.

You can't eat processed meat if you have a nitrate allergy.

<pulls Kenneth Williams face>

Wouldn't bother me but I wouldn't cook something special for them. Jacket potato and beans!!

You lot roast a chicken for a playdate?! Wouldnt it be easier to cook some fish fingers or put a pizza or pasta on?
I wouldn't think it's wanky. It could be a health reason (nitrites for example or additives), it could be concern for bowel cancer or it could be that she knows her child hates them so she is helping me not waste food and ensure the child has a good time without awkwardness or forcing themselves to eat food they dislike. She didn't say organic only...............

I'm not sure I'd know what to cook them - are 100% pure pork sausages OK? Gammon boiled at home? Pure beef mince?
All meat is processed of course, so what are we talking?
I'd probably do mac and cheese or fish fingers. My DCs like Quorn nuggets too so I'd avoid meat.

Processed meat isn’t a staple and is a known carcinogenic so I’d be fine with this.

I’d ask them for further clarification.

Might be that they had some sort of allergy I didn’t know about that’s set off by commonly used things in some processed meats.

Might be that they are being cautious about health issues that can arise from too much processed meat (not unreasonable).
But in that case, the word isn’t “can’t” - they should say “I’d prefer him not to eat processed meat” or “we don’t ever give him processed meat”.

I’ve got a reasonable amount of sympathy with being careful around what you eat. But I’d ask for more detail and probably wouldn’t be able to help being a little pointed - eg “so do you mean no ground up meat? What about oak smoked? If I chop it up is that ok?”

Also it probably depends on the situation. Kid’s birthday party at a soft play? Special birthday dinner for the child at a wealthy grandparents house who likes to cook? School trip?
If it was in any situation where it would be too hard, fiddly or expensive to cater for said dietary wish, I’d smile and suggest they’d better go with the vegetarian option to make sure then.

To answer your question OP — I wouldn't think anything of it, beyond the bare facts as presented; i.e. the child doesn't eat processed meat.

I would do cheese and tomato pizza or macaroni cheese etc
Easier just to avoid meat altogether.

It's a bit wanky but I have a mostly meat-eating child who won't eat chicken for welfare reasons. She's of the 'I don't mind eating it if it has had a happy life'. She won't eat farmed fish for similar reasons.

I guess I'd ask what they meant by processed - does that mean no sausages or do they specifically mean things like salami and cured meats.