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.

Sounds like urgent medical care should be sought if you're keeling over with no meat in a single
meal.

ho hold on, you're being sarcastic 🤦‍♀️

Or that parent...

Quite!

You mean his ultra processed, carcinogens containing low quality meat products?Might do him good to be shown how good veggie food can be.

Edited to say I see you are saying your child’s eating habits are down to medical needs. In which case the venue might be able to open up choices you may not have previously considered, given they will have a wide experience catering for dietary needs.

It wouldn't do him good at all because he has a limited diet for a reason. A vegetarian diet, even just for 5 days, isn't suitable for everyone.

He likely just wouldn't be able to go.

Edited after seeing pp's edit: Possibly if they were willing to compromise based on medical needs but I'm still not sure I'd be willing to risk it for 5 days.

Then of course you need to discuss that with the school. As you would if the venue also served meat.

Exactly

And TBH I am sceptical that it went from DS doesn't eat xyz to "medical need for meat"

It’s a sustainability centre - of course they’re going to provide a sustainable (ie non meat) menu. Just decide whether or not you want your child to go. You’ll look like an idiot if you complain about this.

Literally wouldn’t even have given this a moments consideration it’s not even an issue as far as I am concerned. There will be plenty for the children to eat.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall when the OP phoned the venue and asked them to provide meat for their child 😂

Read my previous comments on this thread. I've mentioned several times that he has medical needs.

Which you would need to address on a residential, whether or not they serve meat

Interestingly when I searched for your posts on another thread you said

You'd hope so. My son can't eat steak, salad or mussels and fish depends on the type of fish.

I.e. mostly meat/fish that he can't eat but on this thread, it's vegetarian food he can't eat.

Given 'vegetarian' food (vegetables, grains, pulses, cheese, eggs etc) form a huge part of everyone's diet, if you add in steak, mussels and fish there's not a lot left.

Indeed. Poor kid!

He can eat most cheeses. In theory, he can eat eggs but he's had some issues with it so we're hoping that will sort itself out.

He can eat limited fruit and veggies, he has to avoid wholemeal grains but can eat white bread and cereal such as coco pops and he can't eat pulses.

He's under a dietician.

Who says they're having spinach and bean curry and not the usual crowd pleaser 'crap' meat eaters eat without even realising it's accidentally vegetarian - eg pizza, chips, lasagne, baked potatoes with cheese and beans, apple crumble with ice cream?

Or:

It is the principal of forcing Meatism on Vegetarians or vegans. it doesn't matter whether it is for a week or a year.
If you don't understand what is wrong with that, I cant help you.

But I guess it only works one way round!

I think the call might have been quite quick ie 'We do not offer meat or fish here. Please talk to x school if you have any further queries.'

So you would have had to discuss his needs in order to go on a residential, whether it provided meat or not.

I avoid UPFs where possible and often make my own 'fake meat' - but there are are plenty of commercially available ones which are only minimally UPF.

Can highly recommend VIVERA for example - incredibly good value, absolutely delicious and the ingredients in their Shawarma are 87% hydrated vegetable protein (water, 23% SOYA protein), vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower), vinegar, spices, salt, natural flavourings, vegetables (bell pepper, onions), water, garlic powder, bell pepper concentrate, iron, lovage, vitamin B12.

La Vie bacon lardons - also incredibly delicious, ingredients are " Rehydrated SOYA proteins 82%, sunflower oil, salt, natural flavourings, colourants: anthocyanins, lycopene, acidity corrector: potassium acetates.

Not keen on the colourants and potassium but compared to meat based convenience foods this is absolutely minimal UPF.

Of course.

Limiting his already limited diet even further because they don't allow meat would make including him in the residential harder, especially for 5 days.

Nope. Didn't say that. Just said I'd prefer my child not to eat UPF and I just think it's often easy to offer different things that kids will generally eat.

Fair point. In my experience the food when meat is served often has a "separated" meat item so it's easy to remove the meat. Obviously spaghetti bolg etc are not that sort for food.
I guess my point is that schools seem to have improved in recent years to cater for different types of picky eaters and in my experience it's less easy to offer in veggie food as often the protein comes in the form of beans, lentils etc.

Kirbert2
He can eat most cheeses. In theory, he can eat eggs but he's had some issues with it so we're hoping that will sort itself out.

Your child isnt a typical to many in this post though and does have exceptional need.
He is nothing like the ops child who could eat a cheese and onion pie, jacket spud and beans etc pizza and chips Op is saying he doesn't want to. Its a world if difference between cant and doesn't want to.

If I was in your position I seriously would not send my child if there was that many restrictions in his diet.

I know people would say why should he miss out but if he is as bad as you say wouldn't you want him having the correct meals at home to keep him healthy rather than may be cheap sausages and reconstricuted meat such as hot dogs, salami and other highly processed meats which you typically get at residential centres ( obviously not the one op is referring to) until the dietician has got his condition under control.

I know a pointless discussion because it's not your kid that's going.
vgp1234
Have you had a response from your email?