New job - already fed up with unhealthy ‘working lunches‘

[AliceSeal]

I’ve been in my new job since February and in the main really enjoy it. However, we have monthly ‘planning meetings’ which so far are always scheduled to run through lunch (usually 11-3) and the bosses arrange for a lunch to be provided. Last month, it was a job lot of Greggs ‘beige’ - sausage rolls etc, and today it was stacks of dominoes which everyone could pile in to.

I haven’t said anything so far as I don’t want to appear ungrateful, and the majority of my colleagues seemed ecstatic with these choices, but as someone who is quite big on health and fitness, this is really irritating. We get a 5-10
minute break from this at most which isn’t enough time for me to do much more than go to the loo (big office with microwave facilities downstairs and always a queue over lunch).

Would you ask to get a longer break so I can have my own lunch? I’m just conscious this will delay the meeting for everyone else so very wary of asking.

Oh, you rotten spoilsport! i was just about to ask if he shouldn't be revising for his GCSEs rather than posting here.

Surely you can managed a packed lunch once a month? I think you're making an issue over nothing

Well my family all shares the same almond-we would never manage two licks on any day-including Christmas.

Some ppl can't help flaunting their largess

If you eat 3 meals a day you have 1095 meals per year. This is 12 of them.

Just take something from home, or have your lunch at 3pm.

How about getting a food flask from somewhere like ‘sho’. They are very effective and keep food warm for 8hours?

I wanted to remind OP that she is hardly the only slim, successful person on MN but then I remembered that I am neither of those things and I happily scoff free work pizza, so I fear OP might have had a point all along.

Wind 'em up and watch em go,eh OP?

Surely if you are very successful at being slim and in a high role (as am I) you can figure out how to have a lunch once a month with the correct macros. If not maybe you need the chop.

This is a good idea!
I once worked for a very small company who did regular team building (cheap) nights out for pizza and (cheap) alcoholic drinks. I don’t really like pizza 🍕 - nor alcohol that much, but they were all excited about it 🙄. I had to suck it up to fit in, but I look forward to a time when there are progressive HR policies about against basically forcing people to eat unhealthily.

I know people who won't entertain this sort of food for various reasons. A couple for religious reasons, others because they have food intolerances, and then there are those that would like to eat it but can't because of issues with digestion. They have to avoid it on medical grounds due to gallbladder problems, high cholesterol, or IBS.

All you need to do is to decide what you want to do, then let the others know your decision and do your own catering.

As many others have mentioned, a small box of what you'd like to eat is far better for you.

If your colleagues know this is what you prefer, and you don't want them to try and cater for you, they should respect your decision.

If they don't and start complaining about your 'attitude' and start trying to force you to join in with the stodgefest, then point out it could be seen as harassment or workplace bullying!

No idea what this has got to do with it! I am a size 8 and would happily eat pizza or sausage rolls. Maybe both in the same meal, if offered.

Don't eat you can survive until after the meeting or when you get home.

They provide pizza; they dont force people to eat it.

But you carry on; if your company suggest getting pizza, you stand up in front of everyone and start yelling that you'll report them to somebody if they do. You'll be popular with everyone!

Lucky you

How attention seeking.. but very Mumsnet...

Sneaking in an exclamation mark after you write 14/16+ defo isn’t ‘respectfully’ 😉

You are going to come across as a very difficult person. You don’t like the food provided but don’t want to carry anything cold either, When you work with people or do things in groups you need to be a bit flexible.

Yes but some people don’t want to eat sh*t! Doesn’t matter what your size is if you just don’t like processed crap and prefer real food

She wouldn't need to let anyone know. Have you never had a work lunch? They bring it in and put it on the table. If anyone gets their own packed lunch out instead, nobody would bat an eyelid. It almost always happens that people do.
I mean it's probably not even real, but even it were there's not even a suggestion there's any pressure on anyone to eat it.
"Colleagues should respect your decision", ffs. Of course they would. Why the hell would they give a shit? Even the now banned OP didn't claim they would.

Give me strength!

Athwat - Why don’t you carry on creating your own weird arguments and have them with yourself on your own thread ? 😄

Jesus, it’s once a month, just eat the food it won’t kill you or else take in a packed lunch…. This really isn’t a difficult quandary

So you've been in post 3 months and had probably maximum of 3 of these lunches- go ahead and mention it if you want to be unpopular. Either that or just bring your own. If a bit of free brown food is the worst thing you have to complain about that you are doing ok.

Take something in a thermos along to the meetings

There is nothing wrong with you wanting the pass on the unhealthy options, however it is unreasonable to expect the company to cater to your specific dietary requirements.

I imagine the dominoes etc is a bit of a treat for most of the colleagues and they are happy with this. Its once a month, a cold lunch is not difficult to prepare and there are plenty of healthy options you can take it, so for that reason YABU.