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.

Not sure, CurlewKate. The evidence is not in short supply on this thread....

good god, how do some people survive?

If the problem is that your child will only 'safe foods' (which doesn't mean I assume they're ND, but that they only like food they are familiar with and know they like) then its likely going to be a problem sending them on any sort of residential because chances are high they will not be offered only those meals

If the problem is that you fundamentally disagree with anyone choosing to be vegetarian then you may just have to accept that's a you problem.

If you don't mind the concept but just know nothing about what food vegetarian people eat then count this as a good learning experience for your child and don't worry about it.

Honestly sometimes when we have people to stay I feed them vegetarian food all week and they don't even notice until they realise there's been no meat at all (sometimes there is as DH eats meat occasionally so its nice for him to have a meal which includes it if there are enough people in the house who do too - you get what you're given around here!). No one has ever complained or gone hungry even when they're omnivore kids.

Just let your child give it a go without priming them to hate it and go hungry.

Vegetarian children usually get one option and have to eat it or leave it. 😂

Imagine thinking that on a residential every child should be able to pick exactly what they want. Haley will have the Lobster Thermidor with lightly grilled asparagus spears, Bella is having a full English, no hash browns please, and Jamie wants a chicken Jalfrezi- get a chop on or you're DISCRIMINATING AGAINST MY CHILD.

I didn't know the Ritz offered school residentials.

Clearly children are going to this centre to learn about sustainability and this includes learning about food where it comes from, production and its impact on the world. We all know that it's not sustainable for the worldwide population to continue chowing down on burgers and bacon butties at the current rates.

Perhaps you could go along as a parent helper?

It is not a question of “treating preferences equally.” Equal treatment in schools means choosing the most inclusive option that harms no one. A meat-free menu feeds every child safely and well. A meat-based menu excludes the small number who do not eat meat for ethical, religious or health reasons. Asking a vegetarian to eat meat would breach their beliefs and require an animal to be killed. Asking an omnivore to eat tasty vegetarian food for five days harms no one. Your child still eats meat at home before and after the trip; nothing is being “taken away.”

A week of vegetarian meals is also demonstrably good for children. The British Dietetic Association and NHS both state that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy for all ages and can reduce risks of chronic disease. These diets are rich in fibre and lower in saturated fat than typical meat-heavy menus, which supports heart health. If you are worried about nutrients, schools can provide complete protein easily with beans, lentils, soya, eggs and dairy, plus iron with vitamin C to aid absorption, and B12 via dairy or fortified foods.

There is also a legitimate educational purpose. The environmental footprint of meat, especially beef and lamb, is far higher than plant proteins. On average, one kilogram of beef causes about 60 kg of CO₂-equivalent emissions, while beans and lentils are orders of magnitude lower. Livestock overall accounts for roughly one eighth to one fifth of global greenhouse gases, depending on method and year. Choosing a vegetarian caterer for a sustainability-themed residential directly supports the curriculum aim of teaching evidence-based environmental stewardship.

On health outcomes, large cohort studies show vegetarians have lower rates of ischaemic heart disease, and several meta-analyses associate plant-based dietary patterns with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. No single diet is a magic bullet, but the balance of evidence points the same way: more plants is better for long-term health.

The “contradiction” point about school lunch standards does not land. The standards ensure adequate provision over time; they do not require meat at every meal, and a short residential with vegetarian catering is fully compatible with a balanced diet across the term. In practice, the school is meeting everyone’s needs and using the trip to broaden palates, teach sustainability, and expose children to new foods. If the centre also arranges farm visits, that is not hypocrisy; it is showing the real food system end-to-end so pupils can think critically.

If you do write, I would avoid asking the school to add meat. It creates exclusion where none exists. A constructive ask would be to share the menu in advance and invite families to flag allergies or special requirements, along with reassurance about protein, iron, calcium and B12 sources during the week. That keeps the focus on inclusion, health and learning rather than turning dinner into a culture war.

This is not the same as forcing a vegetarian child to eat meat. In your case, no one is suffering, no one is doing without, and no animal is being killed. The children will eat well, learn something important about the world, and come home having discovered that veggie food can be excellent.

I disagree tbh.

As I say I've had to cook recently for a bunch of vegetarians / vegans.

If you can cook and know what you are cooking its actually VERY EASY to do that without straying into ultra-processed food.

I think its ignorant to suggest differently.

One of the easiest ways to do vegan / dairy free I've found is to do something like a Korean/Chinese (other east Asian) option. Its really easy, cheap and its in fashion. Or to go with pasta and sauce. Again a lot of kids WILL be familiar with and it won't be alien.

I think the people automatically assume that you replace meat with meat substitutes if you go with a veggie option. This isn't the way to do it. Cos its crap. And it doesn't work well.

We DO eat plenty which is veggie, or can just omit meat, without too many issues. Thats the way you SHOULD do it. The quality of food you can give by going veggie is higher PROVIDED you don't go down the fake meat route.

"Watching them squirm" = "watching them stunned by my defensive, catastrophising rant while they're trying to enjoy their food." My choice to be vegetarian is my own, I don't want to eat dead animals, you can eat what you want.

They’re unlikely to serve them veggie/vegan meat substitutes in this case because of the cost. Far more likely it will be meals from beans, veggies and a carb like pasta. Cheap, nutritious, can be knocked up in bulk. I know UPFs are everyone’s favourite contention at the moment, but I don’t think they’re enormously relevant here.

People who usually preach this message are usually the same ones (like my brother-in-law) who go on holidays abroad at least once a year; which creates a carbon footprint at a level that dwarfs any efforts made through being veggie/ veganism.

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It's really basic though, as other posters have said. Vegetarians cannot eat meat. Non-vegetarians have no restriction to their diet.

All kids are being served food that they can all eat. It's fair and equal. It just doesn't contain meat.

My DC aren't vegetarian but I doubt they'd even notice that they weren't eating meat for a few days.

I'm really struggling to see what the big deal is.

I think the problem is likely your cooking!

The quality of food you can give by going veggie is higher PROVIDED you don't go down the fake meat route.

Agreed. There is zero need to use fake meat in vegetarian or vegan cooking.

But seeing as everyone can eat a vegan meal, that means that everyone is catered for. Is that really 'pandering' to a minority?

You're also missing the point being made about sustainability. Meat and dairy production is a major contributor (as much as all transport) to climate change. Switching to a vegan/veggie diet is one of the most effective things that anyone can do to reduce their impact on the climate.

You’re being ridiculous. There are plenty of high protein vegetarian meals that will be far healthier than the cheap meat these sorts of places would have in.

It doesn’t sound as though the school have picked this to accommodate the one vegetarian of year 6, but because it’s the place that seems right for their year 6 residential and it just so happens that this place offers vegetarian food.

I’m not vegetarian but easily went 10 weeks of vegan diet when I did a yoga training course - I missed cheese a lot but besides that I survived just fine. Don't make a big deal of it to your child and let them form their own opinions of the food.

I’d be less concerned about the vegetarian menu than the fact that they have booked a school residential at a site that is clearly a political organisation (small ‘p’). The menu is an example of how it is pushing its politics on children - they clearly believe in vegetarianism over meat eating. It if fine to have such a stance but it is against the law for a school to push a single political perspective like that, unless they are also doing day trips to beef farms to hear a farmers perspective too.

Yabu for sure. Cutting back on meat is one of the best things we can do for the planet - vegetarian food is open to all and it will not hurt your child to eat that. My DD went on a school residential last year and said the meat options were disgusting and poor quality and she wishes she had said she was veggie as they got tomato pasta! If it upsets you that much don’t send your child on the trip

The trip isn’t compulsory if you feel that strongly don’t send them, by offering vegan and vegetarian meal it mean that those can only eat meat killed in certain ways can still eat.

🤣

This is exactly why schools will stop running these sorts of enriching trips.

Parental complaints about petty shit.

Teachers are giving their time FOR FREE to take your child on this residential. They don't get paid, it's time away from their own families and you think it's appropriate to moan at them that your DC won't get food of their choice.

Get a grip.

I wouldn’t indulge this. ‘The animals would all die so we’re doing them a favour’ is an old piece of faulty logic that’s been rigorously debunked by critical animal studies for at least 20 years. They need some new material!

I so agree with you. I want to scream at the phone here at posts like the one you're replying to.

I cook and eat pheasant, grouse and venison. I am equally capable of cooking vegetarian and vegan food without going anywhere near crap like "vegetarian cheese" and vegan/ vegetarian substitutes.

It does cater for everyone. Because everyone can eat vegetarian food. Not everyone can eat meat.

So? Just because your BiL is a twat doesn’t mean that most people eating primarily veggie diets don’t have a much lower footprint than those who eat a heavily meat based diet. That “I know someone “ line used to prove or disprove something is just like trump and his paracetamol- totally missing the big picture