To think it's selfish to eat from special dietary requirements when you have none?

[IndividualMini]

At a work conference, where a catered lunch is being offered. There are specific sections for dietary requirements with limited supplies eg vegan, gluten free, nut free, along with a larger section for ordinary non-vegetarian sandwiches with ordinary bread. The guy ahead of me takes something from every single section including the ordinary non-vegetarian section, so clearly is not a vegan with gluten allergies! Why do people do this? As someone with specific dietary requirements I've been left many times with very little to eat because others have eaten food without thinking about whether others might actually need it.

It's obvious no one is going to just eat sausages. It's different if its labelled vegan or nut free.

So why not simply order the veggie option and then have that. Sorted.

Would you be saying the same if the was a small halal section at the end with the free from stuff? That’s extremely selfish.

So annoying when you end up with nothing to eat!! No event is fun when you are starving and everyone else is full. I haven’t voted because I think it’s usually thoughtless rather than selfish, and I think caterers could do better with their labelling etc.

The right thing is to make sure the special diet person has had their share first imo. Partly it is large group mentality but it can happen in smaller groups too. People seem drawn to pick from the smaller plate of gluten-free food first (because there’s plenty of the other cake, so they can just have that later!). Grrrr

So if a caterer labels the chips as being suitable for vegans because they're chips, which are usually vegan, then non vegans aren't allowed to have any then?

That's a problem with the organisers, not a problem with the other eaters.

If they have only made enough vegan/gluten free food for those that ticked the "special requirement" box then it absolutely should be plated up and name labelled- also presents cross contamination for allergies.

However, if there's a plate of veggie pakora out on the main table, with a vegan sign in front of it, then absolutely everyone will read it as being fair game, especially when it's a food that "just happens" to be vegan and lots of people like rather being a "vegan substitute" food (I.e. I'd pick up a veggie spring roll, veggie pakora/falafel etc without thinking twice, but I'd back away pretty quickly from a vegan cheese sandwich or a vegan "chicken" nugget).

I think whoever is catering really needs to do something to make sure that those with a dietary need have enough food. There are plenty of ways to do this including separate wrapped plates for each person with a dietary need, labels stating clearly that this is for those who have requested it and/or asking those with dietary needs to go to the buffet first. For vegetarian/vegan food it's common knowledge that these dishes will appeal to other people too so I can never really understand why caterers don't include more of this as standard and fewer of the meat/fish dishes. If the meat/fish ran out most people would have something that they could eat. Gluten free etc should not be placed on a buffet with other uncovered food anyway as there's too much risk of cross contamination.
As a vegetarian of many years my experience is that the vegetarian food is often the most popular (especially on a buffet) at mass catered events as lots of people see it as a 'safer' option.
The worst situation I have encountered was at a work conference where we were all asked for dietary needs weeks in advance. The food was table service from a small menu with vegetable lasagne, rack of lamb or trout. By the time I was served all of the lasagne had been taken and I was asked if I couldn't just have the fish 'just this once' or find a colleague who had already got lasagne and ask them to swap or share! (I ended up at a sandwich shop).

Are you suggesting that meat eaters should just eat a plate of meat and then wait to see if there is any salad left at the end?

Some people here have been subjected to some awful catering.

If someone is coeliac or has a severe allergy, their food needs to be plated at source, labelled and kept covered.

Most people like variety, buffets should be 50% plus vegan and veggie.

What you often find is that the buffet sandwiches for people with no dietary requirements are 100% meat based
Exactly this! When you are asked for
dietary requirements there is no option for « no requirements but I would rather have a cheese than a meat sandwich ».
I wouldn’t eat food labelled ‘gluten free only’ or something like this but I would definitely not consider that vegetarian item are off limits to people who didn’t ask for vegetarian only.

This happens all the time with veggie and vegan food. The organiser asks in advance for people to make known any dietary requirements, people respond and the catering is done based on those numbers. Then entitled people take all the veggie and vegan food.

It’s bad enough when it’s a buffet but I’ve seen someone knowingly take a plated gluten free meal (there were over 100 guests and only 2 gf meals) because they ‘fancied the look of it’. Then they loudly defended their right to take it. Yes, everyone had filled in an rsvp including dietary requirements weeks earlier.

I agree OP. If caterers only have, say, 10 gluten free guests to cater for then that's exactly what they do. They can't afford to do 40 gluten free sandwiches to enable everyone to try a bit. Gluten free bread, for example, is more expensive. It is also not very nice so why non coeliacs take such delight in grabbing it I have no idea. I've known non coeliacs/vegans or whatever grab separately cling filmed plates too. I think it's human nature to want forbidden fruits but it is pretty pathetic.

I would see gluten free, dairy free, halal etc as dietary requirements that need to be kept separate for allergy/religious reasons.

A cheese or egg sandwich can and will be eaten by most meat and veggie eaters so I would provide extra of these and fewer of the meat options.

If I’m doing a buffet at home, I generally give a nod to the veggies and parents of fussy children so they can get in first.

Your problem is with the people catering or ordering the food.

I wouldn’t eat food labelled ‘gluten free only’ or something like this but I would definitely not consider that vegetarian item are off limits to people who didn’t ask for vegetarian only.

If you’ve been asked to give your dietary requirements before hand and you chose not to put vegetarian, you’re eating other people’s food.

I was about to comment how do you know he doesn't have a bowel disorder like ibs (as certain foods do trigger and I am intolerant to them) but if he knew that there were per head as in so many people needed dietary requirement food the he is a dick.

You think non-vegetarians should let the organisers know that they don't just eat meat and fish? Why? Hardly anybody just eats meat and nothing else. That should be taken as standard. What's not standard is not eating any meat or fish.

My friend was hosting a bbq. Lots of food. Good choices and plentiful. Meat, burgers, sandwiches, rice. The lot.

I am a vegetarian and brought a couple of v large pizzas to heat up in the oven. These were cooked after the bbq was done and everyone had eaten lots.
I was helping friend, and while not in the kitchen, she plated up the pizzas. I heard her say that this was for me and any other veggies. Pretty sure there weren't any others.
Within 5 minutes, the whole lot had been eaten. Every slice. I got none. There was still loads of the other food out.
I'm still fuming now and it was years ago 😄.

This happened to me at a friend's wedding. Lovely hot buffet of Indian curries etc. the first curry at the table was the vegetarian one and it was gone in 10 minutes. I was there all day and ate a bag of peanuts and a small chapati.

And what if every vegan food is labeled as such. How can the individual determine which bits are appropriate for them to have versus not if the caterer doesn’t make it clear.

When all the people saying 'meat eaters aren't allowed to touch the vegetarian and vegan food' are faced with a buffet, are you all seriously saying that you'd stick to the meat items only and not have a cheese sandwich or onion bhaji?

It's not "entitled" to want a mix of meat and vegetables on your plate though. The fault is with the caterers for not providing enough veggie options for people who might want them.

Perhaps if there is a hot buffet the best way forward would be to have, say, a choice of chicken or fish or vegetarian quiche, along with plenty of vegetarian sides and salads, and just mark the quiche "please be considerate and leave this quiche for people who have requested a vegetarian meal". That way meat eaters can load up on chicken or fish and plenty of vegetables and salad if they want it. If all you provide for meat eaters is slices of pepperoni pizza, chicken wings and fried calamari then it is entirely unsurprising that many of them are also going to reach for a bit of green stuff to put on their plate.

That person who took a plated gluten free meal was way out of order though. How did that situation end?

For the coeliacs to also a cross contamination risk, they should plate stuff up separately really or have a different table. I don’t want gf stuff that someone might have touched after picking up normal food or used the same tongs.

the guy is just been thoughtless. That if everyone did it there’s potentially nothing left for people with no choice.

What? People who aren't vegetarians should not touch egg, cheese or hummus sandwiches? Leave the bean salad, the cherry tomato and mozzarella balls on sticks, crisps, bread, coleslaw and so on?

Medical condition? Sure, crack on. That food should just be for you.

But fussy vegan/vegetarian/gluten free by choice? Nah. You’re being fussy and that’s a preference; I have no time for that.

Where I work the vegetarian food is really good and the caterers do lots of it so that everyone can have it. I’m not vegetarian but I don’t like eating meat every meal and I love vegetarian food. It sounds like you go to badly catered events.