How to politely request healthier food choices when meeting clients?

[Lemonthyme]

How do you politely say to a company "please don't feed me beige food"?

I was with a client yesterday and they asked before I arrived if I had any allergies etc. Which I don't. But when food came it was chicken nuggets, chips and crisps. I kid you not. It was like being in a wacky warehouse.

I've now been on such a healthy diet for a while, I ate some and it was only because I was hungry that I did eat, if there had been a fruit bowl I'd have only eaten fruit. I just didn't want to be doing it and felt awful physically afterwards. I know one meal of crap like that isn't going to make a difference to my weight but I don't like feeling like I'm bloated with that rubbish afterwards. Calories you just don't enjoy aren't fun are they? And I want to get better at asking for something less crap in future.

Do you think it's rude to say "can I have something healthy?" or "please can we have some fruit or vegetables?"

While I've barely eaten any bread for months, I still would have preferred a sandwich to that pants stuff. I work from home a lot of the time so it's not a big issue but it's surely possible to try and get something a smidge healthier.

I don't think you can tbh. Unless you say you have some kind of dietary requirement, like you can only eat plant based food. Then you might have a better shot of getting something healthier.

Or say you have a special dietary requirements and that you'll bring your own food and not to bother.

What kind of client is it that they provide you food?

I think @Mmmchocolatebuttons idea of saying, somewhat vaguely, that you need to follow a special diet and will bring your own food is the best plan.

Bring a salad from m&s or tupperware.

I think you ask them to order you a salad. Come up with a stock phrase like "I'm on one of those medical advice diets, basically fish & salad" which implies it is important but hopefully they will be too polite to enquire further.

I did that years ago when working for a US company and finding their food impossibly heavy.

If they give you a form for feedback, politely suggest something healthier. If they don’t…

Don’t be an arse, you don’t eat with them every day. Carry protein/granola bars, an apple, whatever, in your bag so you don’t have to offend the people you are trying to do business with. Eat a small amount of the lunch they provide or just what you think is acceptable, and supplement with the bars a bit later when you feel hungry.

Say beforehand that you're on a diet and any kind of salad would be great. Or say that you'll bring your own lunch.

Lol. You tell them your dietary requirements and either eat what they provide or bring your own food.

Actually, this is much better. I followed that with my son who has (real) severe food allergies. Nobody complained or was insulted.

That’s a very out there option for a client lunch, hopefully a one off. The bog standard if it’s order in seems to be ‘soup and a sandwich’ or ‘wrap platter’ etc in my sector.

My husband gets terrible indigestion (GERD if he needs to sound official) and one meal like that would knock him out for a week. I agree with previous posters - just says you’ve got a medical condition (indigestion’s a good one as most people can relate) and bring your own food. You can always tell them how good their spread looks and say you wish you could indulge.

Just eat a few mouthfuls and say you aren’t terribly hungry… and eat something healthy later? Or ask for a pre/post lunch meeting instead and just say you have special dietary requirements so easier to have a shorter meeting this time?

Most clients would probably be grateful for a non-meal meeting anyway. My DH hates them as he can’t stand watching people eat/being watched while he’s trying to have a technical/professional discussion. It drags out what could be a 45-60min meeting over 2+ hours. He hates them as they take up time he could be doing other work - so perhaps your client would welcome a shorter meeting?

You could say you’re on WLI and can’t tolerate certain foods, so will bring your own. Then you can bring a salad or soup etc.

Just decline the food or arrange a meeting bit at a meal time?

no need to be po faced about it and insult the food someone has offered you

I’m in quite a senior role and often bring my own lunch with me. No one turns a hair at this. It helps if you pack something which looks absolutely delicious though!

I also sometimes (if it won’t be easy to being my own lunch) say I am gluten free and try to avoid gluten substitutes so please could I have a salad (to avoid getting stuck with a grim sandwich on gluten free bread as once happened!) but generally bringing my own is easier and if you handle it with confidence and grace it really doesn’t offend anyone.

Bring your own food and just say you are on a special diet.

Also, you do not need to eat food out of politeness. Skipping a meal is not the end of the world.

This. Nothing is more boring than other people's healthy eating journey.

What kind of client is giving you nuggets and chips 🤣. I’m curious what sort of business you’re in.

I’m genuinely fascinated to know the context for someone giving you chicken nuggets and chips! Was the client an individual (rather than a company)? Were you in their home? I’m struggling to imagine a corporate environment where chicken nuggets and chips would be served.

In answer to your question, either say you’re on a diet, if you’re happy to, or just say you’re on a restricted diet and would rather bend your own food. If neither of those things are appropriate, don’t do lunch meetings.

Me too! Maybe she is in the soft play industry 😂

Hi All,

I already fast one day a week so not ideal to skip another meal and the days I do are mentally tough so while I'm used to fasting, I don't normally do so on a day when it's going to be so draining with people you've never met before. When I'm with clients, it's all day and often more than one day so it's hard to bring food for more than day 1 but I accept that's not a bad idea and will do that in future where I can.

I would feel like I was being po faced and insulting though if I refused it (I didn't) and would feel a bit like that if I brought my own. But also, as I said, that's not always possible.

If it’s only with these clients I would say I have an allergy or am celiac, veggie, vegan etc and bring my own food but remember to keep to the story or doing a juice cleanse or fasting or anything but you can’t say you don’t like the food

I wasn't about to say "I don't like the food". 🙄

God I wish you could close threads.

Thing is though when you're trying to lose weight you structurally set up your environment to be positive about that. If you are going to have something higher calorie or glucose or whatever, you do so intentionally.

Just trying to find a social way to do that which works.