School residential vegetarian/vegan only

[vgp1234]

My child had really been looking forward to their year 6 residential, but a new head has joined and had changed the format somewhat.

They have now booked a Sustainability Centre in Hampshire, which only caters for vegetarians and vegans. My child is not a vegetarian or vegan, and across the cohort of year 5 and 6 only one child is vegetarian.

While I appreciate that there is a view that they can go 5 days without meat and they should just suck it up, I find it incredibly frustrating that you would not ask a vegetarian or vegan child to suck it up and eat meat for 5 days. So I don't understand why we do not treat both dietary preferences with equal measure.

The new head is very keen on government guidance, and has changed our lunch menu to comply with the current guidance for school lunches which is that 3 days should include meat or fish (previously we had a meat and vegetarian/vegan option every day). However it seems this guidance only applies on the school site, so you can disregard it at a residential. While they are within their rights to do this, it does seem like quite a contradiction.

I have tried speaking to the Sustainability centre directly but they were very inflexible and just stated it is a against their ethos (may I add that they also offer a day trip at a cost to visit a working farm, who rear animals for meat, so their ethos does not run all that deep). This really goes against my ethos as not only do I think you should treat all groups equally, I can't help but feel that this is forcing their ideas on children verses allowing them free choice and the ability to hear both viewpoints (meat is unsustainable/sustainable) and make their own decision.

In all honesty I'm quite perplexed as to why the school choose the venue when it would clearly be controversial, as this is quite a personal choice for parents and the cohort has so few in it that have this dietary preference.

I'm sure some people will not agree with me, and I am open to your opinions as I'm a big believer in hearing both sides of the argument and our ability to think critically for ourselves and not be told what to think (I want this for my child too).

I do plan to send the school an email initially and request that they provide a rounded menu including meat. But I'd really appreciate any advice on how to word this appropriately as I'm quite upset by it, and I'd prefer to send a well worded email than an emotional one.

I really wouldn’t view this as ‘them against us’ scenario. We all know that too much meat is bed for our health, it’s bad for the environment and many children dont eat enough vegetables.

This will be a good experience to get the kids eating more vegetables and to introduce them to plant based meals they may not have had before. They’ll probably learn about the food chain (hence the trip to the farm) and likely get them thinking about what they eat and why.

You shouldn’t view this as them being against meat, you should view it as a good learning opportunity, a positive experience for the children to learn about food beyond their current lived experience.

I don't think you're being unreasonable to ask why carnivores/omnivores are treated differently to those who choose veganism/vegetarianism.

Let's break it down a bit -

Vegan/vegetarian is usually a conscience decision and lifestyle to take.

But then most dietary preferences are. Unless there is a medical need - diabetic, gluten intolerant, diary or egg intolerance for instance.

Most menus try to offer other non carnivorous options to enable everyone to participate. So in this, I do see your argument. Why confine the centre to only providing vegan/vegetarian options? Because the emphasis is on sustainability and 'green' lifestyle.

Neurodiverse children would find this difficult. I know as I have one. And so the centre isn't being very inclusive nor is it being particularly understanding to the views of all and the preferences of all. But they are within their rights to do this.

Personally, I'd tell the school my view and then leave it. But I wouldn't send my child as there is no way on earth that he could survive as a neurodiverse child on a vegetarian/vegan diet alone.
That's something we're working on but it shouldn't be down to the school or centre to impose it.

Good luck. I was vegan so years, but health and bacon put paid to that! 😊

It’s a few days

The sheer level of patheticness and fussiness now!

And actually a rationing type diet my well come back into relevance: Climate Change, COLC, import restrictions (Brexit / US tariffs) . Huge amounts of our meat come from the EU.

It seems as well to prepare the next generation for the fact that meat will almost certainly need to become a lesser part of our diet. And to encourage eating more veggie meals

As it already is - schools, threads here where people suggest alternatives to expensive meat dishes.

I am an omnivore but not sticking my head in the sand over this.

Have you actually looked at the menu?

Some parents I know made real idiots of themselves by going off on a rant about the veggie only menu on a school trip before properly realising it was pizza (night one), pasta (night 2) and baked potatoes (lunch before leaving) because that's what the kids reliably eat (going by their school dinner choices), rather than anything that they seemed to be imagining.

You do realise that a vegetarian diet doesn’t consist solely of vegetables, don’t you? There will also be eggs and dairy products. I’d much rather my child ate whole foods than processed meats. I think it’ll be a good experience for them.

You do realise that a vegetarian diet doesn’t consist solely of vegetables, don’t you? There will also be eggs and dairy products. I’d much rather my child ate whole foods than processed meats. I think it’ll be a good experience for them.

I think many children would barely notice the lack of meat unless the parents make a big thing of it. It's an interesting idea and the children might discover new foods they love. It would be good for us all and for the planet if we ate less meat.

They’re not treating them differently. That’s the whole point. They are treating them all the same.

vegetarisn kids will be very used to being treated differently. Maybe they’re a bit more resilient.

It’s 5 days.

It's relevant because WW2 children were the healthiest generation and much of the diet was plant based through necessity. So yes, it is worthy of a mention.

As the parent of a very picky eater, I would have no issue in principle with this so long as there was some food that my child would eat, even if they just ate chips and fruit everyday.

I would have a problem with my child being forced to eat, though. I won't tolerate that. As far as I'm concerned, the food is available and it's up to them whether they eat it and it's not for anyone else to comment on.

This is a ridiculous thing to be upset about.

The meat eating children already eat some things vegetarian but the vegetarian children don’t eat things that are meat. Thats why it’s different. No one is being expected to do anything they don’t already do, it’s inclusive.

Yes, I agree. It’s not the same, but I would have complained vociferously as both of mine love their meat. In fact I think DS2 would probably have refused to go.

Having thought about the OP's posts some more, I think this is less about the food itself and more about their personal politics i.e. they don't like the idea of a minority choice being pandered to.

What a huge fuss about nothing, OP. It's 5 days, the kids will be fine. It might not be their favourite type of food, but then perhaps they will be more appreciative of what they get at home. You're not setting a good example by making a big deal out of this.

There are several different vegetarian options, your child will not just be eating vegetables for 5 days. It might also open their eyes to alternative options. I once went to a veggie wedding thinking the food would be awful... it was spectacular and completely changed my view on it.
I think you're over reacting, and that is setting a poor example for your child. If you feel that strongly don't let them go. BUT ie be really careful in stirring up the parents. These trips exist because of the good will of the staff. If they choose not to bother then the Y6 residential will be no more and you'll be the reason.

A vegetarian or vegan diet is defined by excluding certain foods. Their dietary requirement is to NOT be served meat/eggs/milk/honey. Giving them those foods would breach their ethical or moral code, and quite likely make them ill as they are not used to them.

A meat eater does not have a dietary requirement to be served meat at every meal. They eat meat alongside plenty of other foods. Going without meat for 5 days does not breach any of their beliefs.

A person who is not allergic to peanuts will not become unwell through not eating a peanuts, a person who is allergic to peanuts will become very unwell through eating peanuts. Therefore only one of those groups has a dietary requirement around peanuts.

If you want to make your son's residential into a big fight and be known as that awful mother from the 2025 residential then go for it, but just remember that everyone involved in organising and going on that trip is volunteering hours of their time, unpaid, away from their own family to make this experience happen for the children.

It's parents making dramas about pointless things that leads to teachers saying that they no longer wish to give up their evenings (and in many cases nights with kids waking up, having nightmares or getting homesick) for trips only to deal with this kind of nonsense.

Why is she? It is about choice and having that choice taken away.

A lot of work events and conferences I attend now are totally vegetarian/ vegan now as a really easy way to reach net zero. It’s a no brainer can’t believe you’ve got a problem with it.

It’s 5 days, I can’t understand why you are making such a drama out of it, you sound hard work.

There is no choice being taken away as it was never there

no where offers every possible food but no one says “oh the choice to have scampi was taken away from me” they just say “ah scampi isn’t on the menu “

and then you decide if you want to go to that place or not

meat isn’t a fundamental right or necessity

It’s 100% this. Society becoming more and more self centred by the day, it’s so sad.

But the discussion is about a school residential serving vegetarian food, not asking for details of war time rationing.

I don't think most kids even care that much about the food when they are hanging out with their pals. It all seems a massive fuss about not much. It would certainly be unreasonable to stop your child participating because of your food preferences. Let them go and make their own mind up. Helicopter parenting does more harm to young people than veggie food.

Yes, I also thought this.