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.

Quite a lot of wine is now OK and in most supermarkets
Its always labelled as such though.

Lots are vegan. They often have it written on the bottle now. And actually, I don't drink booze either 🤣 don't tell 2pence, she will probably report me to the social for depriving my kids of alcohol too.

Jacket potatoes with beans and salad is vegan 😋 veggies can have cheese. Or have some vegan cheese.

Trust me OP
My three boys have been perfectly capable of wearing my big girl pants since birth.
They’re now grown up and proud to never have eaten a living thing. They are proud and happy and healthy in the kind choices we have passed on. And trust me….fighting the battles along the way and holding up those pants has made them much better people.

So don’t worry if occasionally a parent hasn’t provided for them, they will survive and learn never to leave others out as they have been.

@Iolani that's what I mean really haribo os still unsuitable, but shouldn't be. It's still the go too sweets for everyone, buying a multipack in Asda, there isn't a vegan option that matches the price and availability in supermarkets yet. And still haven't come across the vegan sweets available in small bags to hand out easily yet.

People are still morning about not having nuts on an aero plane, when that could actually kill someone, but still can't go 2 hours without having a pack of peanuts.

That’s very sad.
But they’re cheap because they’re using the waste products from the slaughter industry.
Wonder if the kids know what those waste products are and look like 🤢

One day….🤞it will be a kinder world.
Or maybe we’ll all be following the Jonathan Swift diet from last nights Gregg Wallace special……manmade meat…literally.

You sound a bit extra. DS has a range of allergies and we wouldn’t expect anyone to cater specifically to him- I just sort it myself.

I do find it a bit much that you’d expect a bunch of parent volunteers raising cash for your kids school to spend extra time/money/stress accommodating you- how would they turn a profit if buying several alternatives for every family with a special diet/allergy?

@GHxx I've never known a vegetarian who wouldn't eat at afternoon tea because ham sandwiches were on the plate. If you're that strict you would be better off making that clear in advance so a separate plate can be prepared. Similarly re family BBQs etc, they won't have the facilities to have two grills so you need to make it clear that you'll arrive on time and you'd really appreciate if they could cook yours first. Unless you make it clear people won't realise as it's outside the norm.

OP fair enough to expect to be catered in restaurants but YABU about things like school fairs. Volunteers will likely prioritise allergies and intolerances, preferences will be back of the line.

I have to agree that Linda McCartney sausage rolls are amazing. I also know, from buying them, how expensive they are compared to regular sausage rolls. That's not a problem for a small group but catering to a bigger group, with quite a few needed, it probably would be a cost issue. A lot of these organisations run very tight budgets.

I don't want to pick a fight, but is that "good protein"? Wheat gluten powder contains 75% protein but it is gluten which is a lectin and as I understand it there is some debate about whether any they are harmful to human health. If lectins could be harmful and if it is true that vegans have to rely on them as a source of protein isn't that a concern?

I don't know as much about plant protein types as I like but I have recently been reading about the subject and your recipe jumped out at me for that reason

Hi OP, long term vegan here wanting to give you back up. We've had mixed experiences over the years, but I've got to say that eating out has got so much easier over the years. If you've paid for an event that includes catering then I certainly would expect to be provided with food. Definitely check before as it might not be automativ to consider vegan options. Realistically, I wouldn't expect much and I'd be aware to get in quick as the omnis would grab it all.

For activities the children were at, in my experience other parents would make an effort - the same as I would for any dietary restriction. Fortunately being vegan generally accommodates halal and kosher very conveniently. Like you, being a vegan is a moral choice for me, and that does not include providing corpses at my table. Meat eating children have usually been happy with a pasta dish or Asian food or as a last resort ready made nuggets and sausage rolls.

Asda is quite good for little packets of vegan sweets actually. Their own brand milk bottles are now suitable for vegans to my amazement. This is whatbyou get on their website with a search for vegan sweets https://groceries.asda.com/search/asda%20vegan%20sweets

@StillGotBabyBrain @Iolani
You are always drinking a percentage of crushed spider, and baby bird.
That’s in any wine. No such thing as vegan wine.

Something I will always look to now, but from school this last year they all hand out Haribo packs. Still not an option somehow even in Asda, to compete

You are right about lectins not being good for you
However they are in many other foods not just wheat ie chickens, legumes, potatoes, dairy, nuts etc.
If wet cooked on a high heat the lectins are mostly deactivated.
Seitan is both steamed and fried. So that’s a double whammy of high heat wet cooking.

If wine is labelled as vegan or vegetarian it must be so.
Its the law.

There are only meat or vegan options when eating out now. Vegans are killing off vegetarians and as someone who has been veggie for 35 years I am not at all ok with this. I do not want to eat frankenstein vegan cheeze or vegan mayo, vegan bread that falls apart and whatever other over processed rubbish is used to make vegan alternatives. I would cater to vegans because I wouldn't want a child to be left out but seriously question why a child has their parents' beliefs imposed on them. Unless they don't like meat/fish surely they should be allowed to eat it until they can decide for themselves as an adult. As for my conundrum, I'm super annoyed that veganism basically means it's back to the early 90s in terms of vegetarian options if i eat out, ie one if you're lucky. Veganism has ruined eating out for vegetarians. I will eat meat before I become a vegan because imho it's a hassle and not healthy. it's not easy. it's a pain being veggie and catering for myself. veganism is a whole different level.

All events should be converted to Indian/Sri Lankan food. Easy and naturally vegan without any horrible fake meat.

( I am not entirely serious).

YANBU

It’s really not that difficult.
As for throwing away vegan mayo. Why?
Just use it

Vegans have a reputation for being a bit difficult and entitled - rightly or wrongly - and tbh OP, yours just exacerbating those perceptions with this post.

You think your DC should always be accommodated but you wouldn’t accommodate all DC at your house by cooking animal products - for example SEN DC who only eat a very restricted diet. And absolutely you can tell the difference between the meat and veggie versions. And if there’s a SEN child who only eats a restricted diet, they’ll notice and refuse the food if you switch to a different brand, let alone if you used a veggie/vegan substitute!!!

And your outrage at being expected to accommodate a meat diet for a SEN child - so you think your preferences are more important than theirs…..?! They need to suck it up but your DC deserve to be accommodated 😳

The fact is that if you choose to eat a restricted diet, it’s unreasonable to automatically expect someone else to accommodate that. I get that it’s inconvenient but for every decision we make there are consequences - and if you’re not following a mainstream diet, that’s the potential outcome. Regardless of the reason.

I was veggie for quite a while but slipped back. I’m very sympathetic to veggie/vegan diets but in most places they’re accommodated for. There will be some places where that’s not the case ie/a school BBQ but that’s always a risk when you choose to follow a restricted diet.

I have two SEN dc and we have our own difficulties here around food. Grabbing some food on the go is virtually impossible- they eat a decent diet but it’s very very specific. I don’t expect to be accommodated everywhere, if we are that’s marvellous, but it would be very entitled to expect it. And that should be the case for vegans too.

People on here are often mocked for just offering a plate of veggies if there’s a vegetarian/vegan person. Because obviously that’s not suitable as a proper meal! But here you are suggesting that it’s fine….it’s extremely mixed messaging for non-veggie people. Also, some vegans tend to like to make their outrage known when people get it wrong. So it’s just easier/safer not to bother.

Tesco do small vegan sausage rolls at under £2 for 30

This is such a good point. It’s extremely hard to find veggie food now - it’s all either vegan or meat-based.

I’ve not found many vegan dishes I like tbh. Not unless they’re naturally vegan. Most things that have substitute ingredients taste terrible!

@landbeforegrime
Vegan bread that falls apart?

Thats GF bread surely

I understand that people want to eat meat but surely it’s time to accept that animal products should not be the main focus.

Everyone should have some vegan recipes in their regular menus, and I don’t mean meat substitutes.

We should all be making this positive change to some extent.

OP didn't ask everyone to go vegan though did she? Comprehension is hard isn't it?