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.

Literally just take something to eat. If you really can’t manage a salad, a sandwich, or leftovers cold; just take a tin of soup or whatever and ask if you can nip out to pop it in the microwave.

You are aware that 14-16 is around the average size in the UK, yeah?

I'd think you were a total pain in the arse if you were a new hire and couldn't come up with a solution that didn't impact the rest of the team / time of the meeting! Eat before or after or take something to eat cold or suck it up once a month!

I'm sorry, are they force feeding you?

You hate all cold food? YABU, you can make people wait for you because you want a be try particular type of food when this is a once a month occurrence. What would you do if you were at a clients and the client provided lunch?

Offer to take over the ordering yourself and get a Nandos so you can get something healthier.

I suspect this post was actually just an excuse to slag off your colleagues for being fatties though, which is strange behaviour.

Really?

I suspect this post was actually just an excuse to slag off your colleagues for being fatties though, which is strange behaviour.

Spot on.

Surely no-one's this rubbish at problem solving?

thermos will do it

or look for another job

do not be difficult for the sake of once a month

Eat a slice of their hot pizza with your cold salad. You won’t explode if you fudge your macros once a month. I also prefer eating healthily but what you are describing sounds incredibly rigid.

Once a month? Are you serious? Have a day off 🙄

Or, just eat macro food before the meeting, warm it up 10 minutes before the meeting and take it in, or wait to eat later (take a smoothie in).

If you complain you’ll just look like a virtue signalling whinger and spoil it for everyone else- the chain of events will go something like, person unwillingly forced to order chia seed salads and other macro foods, other people get involved and start making their own requests, costs go up, no one eats it, management get pissed off, food never ordered again.

Boiled eggs? Protein shake? Overnight oats?
maybe have a larger meal for breakfast and a smaller lunch that day?
respectfully it sounds as though your mind is already made up that you don’t like whatever options you are given.

Oh the horror….

Why would we not believe that a mixed group of middle aged people enjoyed a pizza?!

Respectfully, you sound like bloody hard work.

I wish my employers would treat us to pizza once in a while. I've been there 8 years and it hasn't happened once

Well take a hot meal in a flask then. It's one lunch meeting a month and there's no reason why your request for a longer break needs to be accommodated.

That's a fantastic pun

You’re being incredibly difficult.

This. Just say you have specific dietary needs and take your lunch to eat while the others have their sausage rolls or pizza. You don't need extra time

I’d ask for a low carb or gluten free option to be made available. I actually have done this, it wasn’t an issue, you’d probably find that other people would opt for that too.

Quite right too. Don't want your chakras getting all ballsed up and flying all over the place and you certainly don't want your yin and yang spitting tacks at one another. Keep within the macros or shit gonna get bad!

But OP doesn’t LIKE cold food…

I’m pretty sure you can tolerate a cold lunch and figure out a way to create one that provides your macros for the day.

you don’t have an actual medically required diet. If you did, then you would be well within your rights to request that the workplace provide you with an appropriate meal. This is a preference, so pack a lunch and get on with things

It’s fair enough for you to not like the lunches provided. But if you really can’t bring yourself to eat whatever’s there or bring a packed lunch once a month, then you come across as uptight.

You can meal prep something cold then.
You're not one of those people who microwaves egg and fish, are you?

Bring in a salad, it’s once a month