to hope that my friends won't eat meat?

[gabbyfemale]

hi there we are vegetarians - our friends are coming for a few days does anyone think I should ask them not to bring meat, or should I not say anything and just hope that they realise we don't want meat in the house?

Agree with NMC - whatever the reasons are, the OP has every right to have rules in her own house. Whether anybody else agrees with those rules or not - it doesn't really matter.

Therefore, she has every right to request that her friends do not bring meat into her home (again - it doesn't matter why she feels this way, the point is, she does).

Hopefully her friends will respect that without question.

I'm not a veggie by the way - far from it.

I just wouldn't dream of taking offence at someone requesting I don't bring meat into their home, no matter what their reason is.

It really is up to them. And it won't kill me to go without meat for a few days.

The thing is she can lay down whatever rules she likes. What she can't insist on is that the rules are taken a certain way by her guests. They might not mind one tiny little bit. But then again, they might be thinking "Lovely couple but thank God we can take our own grub. Can't be doing with that quorn."

I don't know but i'd imagine that aside from the cruelty element of not having it in the house - once you stop eating meat even a slice of ham can smell like a rancid lump of liver iyswim.

I wonder if this is the case with the OP (as that's what happened to me when i went off meat during both pregnancies and used to balk at the smell of it) - and i'm usually a real carnivore.

Not so long ago families only ate meat once or twice a week anyway - certainly within my parents memory. presumably they must have eaten veg the rest of the time.

some sort of roast on Sunday and leftovers on monday. really poor families reserved the meat portions for the breadwinner.

it's hardly as though anyone is going to starve for a few days of no meat (although they mind find themselves on the loo more often . if the op had said she was tee-total, would there be the same reaction if she wondered about asking her guests not to bring booze to her house?

In European culture, eating meat has often fiormed part of celebrations though. The Sunday roast was a celebration of family togetherness. Eating meat occasionally isn't the same as vegetarianism and it's nothing like being repulsed by the smell of ham.

YANBU - but it could be a bit tricky with the children, some children are a bit fussy and it might make it easier all round if they just ate what they normally eat.

If you told me not to bring meat I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest but I would be hoping that you would do the most of the cooking as I am used to cooking mainly meat dishes, (dh insists that he is hungry if he hasn't eaten meat!) you don't really want your friends to have to rack their brains thinking of non meat dishes to eat as you would be surprised how unadventrous meat eaters can be! YOu never know you might end up converting them!

well no, I was more making the point that from a nutritional pov, people can manage without meat for a few days.

They might bring a Greggs sausage roll

with a fruitshoot

If they're staying at you rh ouse, make it clear that you are happy to make all meals - they could provide drinks. Then you make it all vegetarian.

children - give 'em bread and cheese and fruit and yoghurt for a few days if worset comes to worst. Easy

Just read thread. Yes, if you feel strongly about not wanting meat, I think you have to say that you will provide food, they bring drink etc. Bit much to say, bring and make your own food but don't bring meat products

I think that if you are inviting them to your house and feeding them with food from your own table you are completely within your rights to ask them not to bring meat along. However if you have asked them over with the intention that they provide their own food then I think that YABU to tell them what they can or cannot bring for their own family.

I would never ask anyone to come over and bring food for themselves and then tell them what is acceptable for them to eat in my home, just because it is not to my taste.

For people who don't get how revolting it could be for a veggie to have meat in their house, try this.

Imagine opening your fridge and finding a human hand, or human kidneys being cooked in your pans. Sure, it won't contaminate the house, but it's not a pleasant thought.

For me, I find it hard to differentiate between types of dead flesh. I find chicken legs as repulsive as the idea of rat legs, or people legs.

so would it therefore also be considered ok for someone who is vegan to ask friends not to bring any animal products into their house? no milk/cheese/yoghurt/fish/eggs?

Where would you draw the line?

I wuoldn't mind if my guests brought ham etc, for their kids to have in a sarnie. It would be difficult tho, if they wanted to bring steaks or half a chicken that they wished to cook in my pans/cooker.

Well, i guess if they r friends they won't be doing that, is that what u are scared of?

They prob just don't want you to worry about feeding the kids? Can't you do pizzas.takeaway??

You can have a veggie meal together? My mum is a meat eater and she happliy has the same as me when she stays, but if we have a take away she has meat.

I do cringe a bit at meat on my plates, and always wash them seperately. Any leftovers go straight to the bin outside!!!

If they are such good friends that they are coming to stay, why don't they already know you are vegetarian?

I would not bring meat to a house where the occupants are vegetarian, unless there is another carnivore in the house.

I have never known a fussy child object to chips - and chips are perfectly suitable for a vegetarian diet.

I wouldn't take offense at being reminded not to bring meat - in fact I would welcome it, because meat is so far ingrained into my diet that some things (ham especially, prawns or tuna) might slip my mental net.

Just be sweet about it, that's all.

Well, it's not a bad thing to ask them - it goves them the opportunity to decide that your household is a bit of a hassle to saty in if it is a hassle for them (and it might be. For a variety of reasons.)it's dumb to just hope/expect that they won't bring meat without mentioning it.

Just tell them.

We are vegetarian and none of our friends have ever objected to a few days without meat. Mind you, most of them are veggy too, and some are vegan, so its not really an issue.

Its your house - your rules.

No problem to mention it, in passing, in a light and polite way. I'm sure they absolutely won't mind or be offended that you mentioned it.

I do think it's a bit odd though if you are having guests to stay for them to bring their own food (unless there are v young babies). It would be easier all round if you catered and perhaps asked them to bring drinks or pudding.

I am an avid meat eater and would have not problem being meat free in someones house. BUt I do think its a bit awkward if you have asked them to bring food.

When we go to friends or them to us we have a chat on the phone about mealtimesie. right on Friday kids will have beef casserole and mash and when they are in bed we will have chinese food. Just clarify either what you are planning to cook or what you would like them to cook and say don't want it in the house.