Is it really that hard.....? 🤔

[StillGotBabyBrain]

My family is vegan, not a massive deal.

When the school has events, no vegan option, so everyone gets a bbq or food catered and we don't. Not even a dairy free alternative for hot drinks! (Primary school, high school is better).

When they go for sleepovers I get worried parents asking me what should they do, can I provide food and drinks for them...

Pubs and restaurants barely cater for adults let alone add options for the kids menu.

Went to a choir meeting the other week, nothing I could eat from the food included in my ticket price.

Am I being unreasonable thinking it's really not that difficult to provide bread and houmous or vegetable dishes? They're suitable for everyone, so isn't a waste of food! Blows my mind.

That's your home. I wouldn't expect that. Anecdotal, I'm sure. But unlike the above poster, you wouldn't expect to find animal products in a vegan home hopefully 😉

I do help when I have time. Am a good soul like that. But unlike a lot of the PTA who do outsource the catering often, I do have a lot of work to do and already, I volunteer for 2 other organisations. I cannot spread myself anymore thinly.

It's a protected belief. Not a food fad.

How rude!!

This won’t go down well and I’m sorry to say I wouldn’t cater to you or your kids if they were at mine, a vegetarian yes that’s easy but I genuinely find vegans a total burden and a bit of an eye roll I think vegans are just deliberately awkward and I’m not willing to take the time and effort to educate myself on it. I view vegans the same way as a fussy eating child etc

It happened. Our friendship didn't survive the attempt to organise a lunch together but at least my DH got to have milk in his coffee. haha.

No, I wouldn't expect to find animal products in a vegan home, and anything I brought over would be vegan. I'm quite happy with vegan food and often choose the vegan options when out anyway. In my home, my family members get to make their own choices though.

Like you, I can't spread myself more thinly, so aren't doing anything extra for catering either. Not that that's something I take on at all at the moment. Most events I go to a 'bring a plate of food' type things anyway, so everyone brings one item. A good way to spread the work.

YANBU. I'm a committed carnivore who can't eat dairy. It's extraordinary how many places have NO vegan milk alternatives, sandwiches, cakes or biscuits. I mean, I can do without a coffee or a snack but I often think about what a nightmare this must be for Actual Vegans. It's not compulsory to put butter & cheese in absolutely bloody everything!

Running a restaurant or cafe is different to catering a one off event, especially if funds are tight and it's run by volunteers.

Almost all cafes, pubs etc do vegan options in my experience, and I would certainly make the effort if I had guests over, but catering a large event is different.

Also, you keep saying that vegetables are non offensive, but I can tell you that if you had my youngest over for dinner and presented him with vegetables, he'd be going hungry! And I hazard a guess that many children would be the same. (I hate that he struggles so much with veggies, he is getting better, but bloody hell it's a pain. My older two love veggies, don't know where this aversion has come from.)

Yes!!! It really is not!!!

Being vegan is a pain though

There's plenty of 'nuggets, sausages' etc that I feed other kids and they don't even know the difference. We don't generally eat lots of meat alternatives, but they are good for regular meat eaters. Chips are vegan.... 😉😉😂😂

Chips can be problematic, depending what they are cooked in.

My daughter recently had a vegan pie. She didn't know it was vegan till I told her afterwards.

Op. The vegan diet is so restrictive. Most people are too busy doing everything they need to get done without having to google all the restrictions of a vegan diet and having to spend extra time preparing extra dishes for one person.

If you had a serious allergy (not a ‘dislike’) then of course people close to you or around you should make sure you’re not exposed to the allergen. People with serious allergies are who we as a society should be assisting and making every effort for.

But the vegan diet is generally a choice you’ve made and why should we cater to everybody else’s choices, if we catered to every individual who has this or that diet, nothing would get done. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your vegan diet.

And a lot of people use butter or chicken broth when cooking vegetables. With the vegan diet, there are SO many restrictions that the chances of getting your special dish right are slim to none.

BYOV

Bring your own veg.

Wow 🤣😂

Please can you use the quote option OP so we can see what you're replying to?

I'm in catering and I always want to provide amazing food for everyone, including vegans. I've thrown away many almost full jars of vegan mayo after providing a small buffet, and that stuff is pricey! I just don't use enough of the stuff.

If I wanted a non-dairy "milk" I would just take some in a small bottle. It's daft for a whole litre to be bought just for one drink.

With gluten free rolls I always freeze what's left in the packet.

Utter rubbish.

It is not restrictive at all. Eating the same 4 animals over and over with the whole 'meat and two veg' programing is restrictive.

Serve my kid a plate of fruit for breakfast. How difficult is that 😕

Also, vegan is not a diet. We eat a plantbased diet. Vegan is living in a way that causes the least harm to animals. It is not about likes and dislikes. It is a belief.

OYM

Open your mind.

Sorry didn't know it doesn't show what I am replying to! Everyday is a school day.

The hellmans vegan mayo is amazing. Just use it for everything, no one would pick out it is vegan unless you told them. I wouldn't be throwing it away.

I used to be vegan. I managed. I think the problem is most people don't know what it includes, and that's fine. Your food restrictions aren't their problem. I have celiac disease and that's for me to sort out, not others.

You're right. More vegan options should be provided everywhere. It should be the norm.

I would cater for you 🥰

Sorry. I would cater for you!

My kids go to a “free school” where there is a lot of parental involvement to run the school and fundraise. It takes a lot of effort to organise events like school discos, outings, Christmas parties etc including the catering. Cooking things like proper vegan dishes or cakes takes even more time, sure you can do chopped veggies and hummus but that’s gonna be a bit crap for your child at a disco or a Christmas party where all the other kids are stuffing themselves with cupcakes and sausage rolls. To prepare a like for like vegan alternative for just one or two children is asking way too much of the organisers.

Make your child his / her own party food to bring in. One of my kids is celiac and I send her in with specialist stuff, I don’t expect there to be gluten free alternatives for just her.

It is not restrictive at all. Eating the same 4 animals over and over with the whole 'meat and two veg' programing is restrictive.

Minimising the hassle of making decent vegan food (rather than just putting out some carrot sticks and hummus) isn't going to help you understand why other people can't be bothered with the faff of catering to your highly restrictive religious belief.

• No meat
• No fish
• No gelatin
• No cheese, butter, yoghurt, milk, icecream, cream
• No honey
• No eggs

Honestly, that list eliminates 95 percent of the meals I eat.

I expect vegans to manage their own food requirements in the same way I would expect anyone of who is halal or kosher or restricting for Ramadan or Lent or whatever other religious dogma dictates their extreme minority consumption practices.

I shall certainly give it a try. I've previously bought small jars from the chilled section - forget the brand, but expensive. Hellman's probably has a much longer shelf life.

Thanks 👍

I chaired a PTA for 7 years. In the last 3 every school event had vegan, nut safe, dairy/egg/soya free options. It’s more work but our modus operandi was no child left out so the effort was made.

I don’t eat meat, grains/carbs, or tomatoes. It’s a hell of a lot easier for vegans in terms of catering today. I don’t eat vegan food because I have high protein demands that can’t be met that way. So it’s not true that hummus and bread works for everyone. I’ve even self catered at weddings.

Not at the expense of really good vegetarian options though.

With so many food allergies to consider and schools having to be nut free and on some cases sesame / soya free - schools etc can find it one step too much hassle to cater for dietary preferences, which is what vegans are, vegetarians a bit easier, but veganism is a choice. I would bring a small bottle of my own milk at such events and ensure I have snacks in my bag.