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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In-laws still serve me food they know I don't like

815 replies

spotlightq · 01/04/2024 08:06

Husband and I have been married for 7 years, together 9. I have been a vegetarian the entire time.

Every time we come here to eat, I'll be offered/given something containing meat. I have to then feel rude and say no thank you.

For example yesterday the peas were ready prepared with mint and bloody pancetta. My plate was dished up for me, so I ended up having to leave a load of food on my plate. It looks rude from my side, but I think it's rude of them.

How hard is it!

OP posts:
Teateaandmoretea · 01/04/2024 14:00

trainboundfornowhere · 01/04/2024 13:56

Then do a side of chips and garlic bread. Take out a portion of the Macaroni cheese, fry off some bacon lardons and add them to the rest of the macaroni cheese.

That’s a few UPFs and white carbs too far even for me.

IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 01/04/2024 14:00

Loveastripeytop · 01/04/2024 13:55

I am interested to know what happens when they visit you?
Do you serve up vegetarian only meals or do you accommodate them and their preferences?

This "do you accommodate them" response is so tedious. As has been pointed out nobody has to eat animal protein at every meal.

Kalevala · 01/04/2024 14:00

HotChocolateNotCocoa · 01/04/2024 13:52

So you have a catering requirement if you eat a roast at someone else’s house? Or indeed any meal that requires cooking oil?

The family I visit most often for dinner don't have upf oils in the house, only olive and coconut like I use. I ate vegetable oil yesterday at another family member's house. I didn't think to check or I would have just eaten the meat and boiled veg. I was in significant discomfort for several hours. I can't eat things like fish and chips out anymore.

trainboundfornowhere · 01/04/2024 14:01

I have some food intolerances rather than allergies (side effects are unpleasant but not life threatening) and I would be furious if my in-laws constantly ignored that. If you don’t speak up for yourself every time OP then nobody else will and you need to tell them every time they give you meat.

Kalevala · 01/04/2024 14:02

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/04/2024 13:56

@Kalevala

good luck eating no UPFs

I don't eat no upfs. I avoid what I can, particularly the ones that make me ill.

Tessisme · 01/04/2024 14:04

None of us are getting out of here alive you know.

Oh, I like this! And before anyone gets their knickers in a twist about 'ah but smoking, drugs, free running ...' or whatever - with diet, for me anyway, it's about moderation rather than elimination (assuming no allergies, illnesses etc)

Newhere5 · 01/04/2024 14:08

spotlightq · 01/04/2024 08:20

They're incredibly over sensitive people and they'd take it so personally and cause problems.

They really do control us with their moods.

Got another lunch today, let's hope the roast potatoes aren't in goose fat like normal

You allow them to control you with their moods.
Stop doing that. Problem solved

StaunchMomma · 01/04/2024 14:10

Anyone who purposefully serves a vegetarian meat is a twat.

You wouldn't have been unreasonable to have thrown the whole plateful in the bin, OP.

They sound ridiculous.

Kalevala · 01/04/2024 14:10

Teateaandmoretea · 01/04/2024 13:55

In the real world though most people don’t obsess about UPFs.

None of us are getting out of here alive you know.

I don't obsess. I avoid what is easy to avoid (mostly at home) and then what makes me ill. I don't like being in pain or feeling like crap.

HotChocolateNotCocoa · 01/04/2024 14:11

Just playing Devil's Advocate here, but if a vegetarian invites their PIL round for a meal and the PIL say "We don't like vegetarian food - we only eat proper food with meat", should the vegetarian accommodate their wishes?

In the specific case of the OP, she could say “Fine - your son can cook your meat dishes and I’ll cook my own”.

In a hypothetical case of two vegetarians inviting meat eaters over, they get could say “I’m sorry, we’re really not comfortable preparing meat in our house. How about a takeaway/restaurant instead?” [Delete as applicable depending on how strict they are about having meat in the house at all]

There isn’t an option where the guests can force the hosts to cook meat or the hosts can force the guests to come. If the OP’s in-laws are so dead set against cooking something vegetarian (even though they buy it all pre-cooked from a shop well known for offering plant-based options), they can just stop inviting her. My guess is they won’t, because they want her to be the one to say she’s not going to come anymore, so that they can blame her when they don’t see as much of the grandchildren as they’d like.

AngelQuartz · 01/04/2024 14:12

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

It’s outrageous to host a vegetarian then and then not accommodate them.

Icanttellyouanything · 01/04/2024 14:12

spotlightq · 01/04/2024 08:20

They're incredibly over sensitive people and they'd take it so personally and cause problems.

They really do control us with their moods.

Got another lunch today, let's hope the roast potatoes aren't in goose fat like normal

Good if they take it personally because making it personal is what they're doing to you.
DP of a very old friend used to do this all the time. Always invited us to birthdays and New Year parties etc and apart from a tub of hummus there'd be nothing else, nothing. Even the carrot sticks and pitta bread were always deliberately artistically arranged so that they'd be touching meat. Crisps of many flavours would be piled into the same bowl. They didn't like any friends their DP had from before they met and had many strategies to see us off. We dont see them any more

Happyasapiginmuck1 · 01/04/2024 14:12

One Christmas my mum cooked some stuffing and sausagemeat separately to the turkey, rather than up it's butt so that I would be able to eat it. It was very kind of her, but as a vegetarian I still couldn't eat the sausagemeat! This was pre-veggie sausage days.

StaunchMomma · 01/04/2024 14:14

spotlightq · 01/04/2024 08:35

My vegetarianism came naturally when I was around 6/7 (so 30 years ago) when eating meat completely repulsed me. I was then forced to eat meat by my idiot stepfather. My mother and father are carnivores so I wasn't understood by them either, not supported.

So, as an adult, I refuse to eat meat completely. No one should have to eat something they really find revolting.

It doesn't matter when it started or how. You don't have to justify your choices.

I do think you need to start putting a sandwich or something in your bag for visits though, OP. They clearly will not stop so you either accept it or accommodate for it.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 01/04/2024 14:16

I think you are being a bit batshit. They are serving mostly preprepared supermarket foods, they're not slaving over this for hours so if they take offence that you have done exactly the same thing and brought a vegetarian dish you can eat from M&S they can hardly object and take it personally without looking quite silly.

Either woman up or keep leaving the food on your plate. They clearly have no intention of doing anything about it but I bet if you start turning up with food then magically there'll be something for you from M&S next time around.

Ponderingwindow · 01/04/2024 14:18

Just like every other non-medically required diet, it is a preference, not a requirement. A good host will accommodate because a good host wants guests to feel welcome and enjoy their meal, but it isn’t a necessity.

id just avoid meetups that involve eating in their home or if you must, bring something you want to eat so you know there will be food for you.

totallybonkerswarning · 01/04/2024 14:20

Kalevala · 01/04/2024 08:28

Prepared vegetarian ones would likely be in an oil that would affect me. I guess if cooking for a vegetarian I would use coconut oil but there would not be a prepared option we could both eat. Appreciate this may not be their situation but conflicting dietary needs can be an issue.

Interestingly I can't have animal fats. Oil is fine but chicken skin or butter kills me

Kittynoodle · 01/04/2024 14:22

MinervaMcGonagallsCat · 01/04/2024 08:32

@CloudsUnderwater

Being vegetarian is being fussy

This one is bound to be in the top 5 ignorant comments of the thread. ✅😳

Completely agree

stupidest comment on mn of the year so far
🙄🙄🙄

Kittynoodle · 01/04/2024 14:26

ChedderGorgeous · 01/04/2024 11:45

A lot of veg can be made much more delicious with meat (be it small cubes of meat for flavouring, animal fat or shredded meat). It sounds like your in laws are just trying to give you more interesting food (in their view). Depending on the reasons for you vegetarianism, could you just eat what they serve up as its only once ever 8 weeks? If not I think it's best to bring a back up veg sandwich and not to cause too much friction.

Edited

Is this for real?????@

IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 01/04/2024 14:27

Kittynoodle · 01/04/2024 14:22

Completely agree

stupidest comment on mn of the year so far
🙄🙄🙄

TBF this one runs it a close second.

Just playing Devil's Advocate here, but if a vegetarian invites their PIL round for a meal and the PIL say "We don't like vegetarian food - we only eat proper food with meat", should the vegetarian accommodate their wishes?

"Proper food" good grief.

totallybonkerswarning · 01/04/2024 14:28

spotlightq · 01/04/2024 09:17

Because my children love them and want to see them. But I agree I should stand up for myself.

Anyway, I've made myself chief potato maker today. Doing them fresh in the air fryer with no goose fat!

I'm sorry but your weak personality really is irritating. I hate it when people "don't want to cause an argue" etc because life does contain confrontations and you need to face them like an adult, not a timid child "trying to please everyone"

Pipsquiggle · 01/04/2024 14:30

So you either say every single time
'I can't eat that, I am vegetarian.'

Or
Say nothing but be prepared that you might not be eating so you need a big breakfast.

Personally I would tell them.

IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle · 01/04/2024 14:31

Kittynoodle · 01/04/2024 14:26

Is this for real?????@

It's an astonishing comment isn't it.

ClairDeLaLune · 01/04/2024 14:32

StaunchMomma · 01/04/2024 14:10

Anyone who purposefully serves a vegetarian meat is a twat.

You wouldn't have been unreasonable to have thrown the whole plateful in the bin, OP.

They sound ridiculous.

But then the meat would have been wasted, and the animal would have died for nothing.

They should respect her wishes and not serve her meat in the first place.

When we have vegetarian friends round for dinner we all eat vegetarian. I relish the opportunity to eat something different from usual.

PILs ABU.

TeabySea · 01/04/2024 14:33

Hotdogity · 01/04/2024 10:16

You say how hard is it? Well actually it is quite tricky cooking specific dishes for one individual (and additional expense). So whilst I do think they should accommodate you, I do think you are appreciative of the effort people go to when the do cook separate dishes to accommodate dietary requests.

My ex was vegetarian, and there was no way the family were going to give up a Sunday roast forever- which meant cooking separate potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and a main dish. It was a significant amount of effort. I hope you do recognise that for the people who do try to accommodate you.

But you don't have to do most of that separately. Just don't use goose fat/beef fat and then everyone can eat the vegetables and sides.
I'm sure, from what OP says, she'd happily bring her own main meal (whether that's a nut roast, quorn slices or something else).

If you're hosting a meal, then you take into consideration what your guests will eat.