Is it OK to request meat as a 'dietary requirement' at an event?

Wes Dempsey GOLD!!!!

Anne Athema I think your example of “Insisting on bacon” is a bit dramatic – can’t see any people insisting particularly on bacon at any event, especially at a friend’s Jewish or Muslim wedding?
I think the point of the article or what Zoya is asking …at weddings/other events the host usually asks and accommodates dietary requests of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free etc
So, why cannot it be the other way round too in factoring dietary choice of meat eaters as an option too? Fair is fair
Plus the host would not be affected in terms of eating a meal that they don’t want, but just to offer it to their guests as a choice. Their guest’s meal shouldn’t affect any of their “genuine allergy or sensitivity” to themselves..

Nada Krstin because eating meat is generally a preference
(one that I have), abstaining from it for vegans is generally an expression of strongly held values. Eating a meat free meal doesn’t conflict with my values, most days I will eat at least one meat free meal, as would most omnivores. Expecting a vegan to arrange for meat to be served to me at their wedding is expecting them to act in conflict with their values. A vegan avoiding animal products isn’t just a dietary decision, it’s a way of life aimed at avoiding as much as possible being instrumental in the exploitation of animals for our benefit. It’s not an equivalent proposition.

Anne Athema I totally understand & fully support that personally, but again this is not the point of this article.
“Expecting a vegan to arrange for meat to be served .. is expecting them to act in conflict with their values .. avoiding animal products isn’t just a dietary decision, it’s a way of life” – yes, but carnivore hosts accommodate & respect a vegan’s choice/way of life, so why cannot vegans be just as considerate back?
How is it not equivalent – why is only one way/my way with vegans?

Nada Krstin because, generally speaking, eating meat isn’t about a philosophical commitment to consuming meat, or to avoiding consuming plant-based foods, it’s a preference that we learned growing up. We don’t grieve at the subjugation of plants to feed humanity, so providing for our vegetarian or vegan guests is mildly inconvenient at best, slightly more expensive at worst. If you put shoe on the other foot and suggest that a vegan should offer meat to their omnivorous friends you are asking them to be complicit in the exploitation and death of the animals that they are trying to protect through their actions. That is a much greater sacrifice to ask of them. It’s not like a coeliac couple offering gluten-containing meals at their wedding, which wouldn’t bother them at all as long as their food is not contaminated.

Jannah Fahiz I don’t see that the article as “targeting just vegans”?
I think the point of the article or what Zoya is asking …at weddings/other events the host usually asks and accommodates dietary requests of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free etc
So, why cannot it be the other way round too in factoring dietary choice of meat eaters as an option too? Fair is fair
With your “Would you request pork at your Muslim friends wedding?”I think this example is extreme – can’t see any people insisting particularly on pork, especially at their friend’s Jewish or Muslim wedding? Just asking for a ‘meat’ option choice..

Nada Krstin the post mentions vegans. The Islam is a way of living and so is veganism. Both are very valid to the person. I think if you believe it’s rude to ask for pork in that scenario than you probably already know it’s rude to ask for meat at a vegan wedding. I’ve been to many events where there’s not a lot I can eat but it’s not my party and I’m not there for the food, I’m there to celebrate with my friends.

in which case, wouldn’t you just eat before or after the event?
i haven’t seen a genuine ethical case for having to eat meat, but there are plenty for vegetarians (and im not vegetarian – I love my meat meals).

Tom Porter
Salmon isn’t vegan Neither is liver.

Sue Ferrari and your point is, you can only have a choice between vegan and meat not meat vegan or fish?

Emma Vickers I’m currently on the CSIRO total wellbeing diet which is high in protein so I would consider asking for it if it wasn’t included.

Monty Ki the way some people carry on about vegan food, you think they would rather die than try it 🤣 many meat eaters are very insecure

Whitney Richardson oh c’mon, really to say”many meat eaters are very insecure” – how so, please elaborate so we can all understand?
I totally get vegetarian (& most of my meals are), however don’t get vegan to exclude eggs and dairy products – not from a dietary perspective

Nada Krstin just google ‘meat eaters would rather die than try vegan food’. Interesting search results.

Nada Krstin if you’re serious about understanding why: https://vegan.com/info/why/

Whitney Richardson Thanks! But don’t need to google ‘meat eaters would rather die than try vegan food’
‘Interesting search results.’ are generally subjective & rather boring.
I like to eat meat occasionally and also quite happy to eat vegan meals if I must – and certainly don’t feel “very insecure” – you still haven’t actually elaborated about your ‘insecure’ statement relating to all meat eaters?
Also as mentioned in my original response, totally support and practice vegetarian meals, just not personally keen on the vegan stance from a nutritional/dietary perspective.

Nada Krstin there are far more nutritional/dietary issues with a meat-centric diet than a vegan diet. Ask any doctor. Being vegan can be super-healthy. It also reduces your environmental footprint. So many reasons to be vegan!

Monty Ki thanks Monty – still not convinced re vegan as being “super-healthy” – and cannot see any doctor supporting/encouraging vegan.
True vegans need to know how to get all the nutritional needs met via B12 tablet supplements & food combinations (especially for new born & young children)
Vegetarian (with egg & some dairy products) – yes, 100% support & practice this mostly.
Vegetarian – this has been around for millennia and proven healthy and doable on so many levels (do not need meat from animals) – this IS the difference between vegetarian and vegan ..
With your “also reduces your environmental footprint” – yes I get that too – so I hope you don’t drive a car, catch any local public transport or any domestic or international plane trips to add to YOUR environmental footprint..

Nada Krstin so you’re not serious about learning about the value and benefits of being vegan then. You could have just said so. Instead, you decided to go on a rant about about how much you don’t respect or even understand veganism. How sad.

Nada Krstin and for the record – EVERY DOCTOR I HAVE SEEN HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF MY FAMILY BEING VEGAN. Every single one. As they all say, they have trouble getting many of their patients to eat any regular fresh fruit and veg. Patients with health conditions CAUSED by eating meat, dairy and sugar. Heart disease, diabetes, and comorbidities. It seems you don’t actually want to understand the research and evidence emerging about vegan/plant-based diets. You’ve already made up your mind you are right and with that mindset, it seems you’re only here to berate vegans. How sad.

Monty Ki Excuse me, but the fact that I am not interested in being a vegan is not as you say ‘sad’.
As far as you say ‘go on a rant’ – well same applies to you about your rant for expressing your vegan lifestyle – what’s the difference? – ‘How sad’ too to impose your beliefs on everyone else.
In terms of ‘respect or even understand veganism’ – I do respect and understand your vegan stance for YOU – but I do not conform to this diet/lifestyle – nor should anyone else, just because YOU say so and then take the liberty to think you are ‘right’ and everyone else is ‘sad’…

Monty Ki Thanks Monty – re “EVERY DOCTOR I HAVE SEEN HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF MY FAMILY BEING VEGAN. Every single one” – ok that’s great! How many different doctors/GP’s have you had these past years – just asking because I’ve had the same GP/doctor for the past 25 years – so why have you had so many different GP’s?
I am very happy being mostly vegetarian – but don’t feel the need to be vegan – BIG difference.
• In terms of getting peeps to “eat any regular fresh fruit and veg” – this would apply to all people – just because you are vegan doesn’t mean that other general meat eaters & vegetarians don’t eat fruit & veg – this issue is individual for those particular patients.
In terms of “health conditions CAUSED by eating meat, dairy and sugar. Heart disease, diabetes, and comorbidities” – just because you are vegan doesn’t mean you don’t consume sugar or get any of your mentioned health issues – correct me if I am wrong and you can prove that a vegan will never suffer ‘Heart disease, diabetes, and comorbidities’ – I await your reply for confirmation.
Do you actually know the meaning of ‘comorbidities’ – sounds impressive in your post – meaning: ‘the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient’ eg anything from: Heart disease, High blood pressure, Respiratory disease, Mental health issues like dementia, Cerebrovascular disease, Joint disease, Diabetes, Sensory impairment. etc
Lastly, I am not here to “berate vegans. How sad” – not at all – I don’t berate anyone’s diet/lifestyle choices – their choice, full stop – does not affect me. I am not here to judge, berate or influence my diet/lifestyle opinions onto others to make them conform to my ideals – unlike you Monty.
I am happy to be mostly vegetarian (not vegan), my choice.
And with your previous post of being a vegan ‘reduces your environmental footprint’ (which you chose not to reply) – my footprint is very minor – I have no food wastage , rarely buy any processed products = most meals are home cooked, everything is composted that can be.
My rubbish bin only goes out every 2 to 4 weeks – how does your environmental footprint compare (vegan or not)?

Nada Krstin

I never said YOU need to be vegan. I was offering you the opportunity to learn more about the vegan diet though. I was explaining why I’m vegan, how vegan diet can be healthy and is supported by doctors and scientific evidence and countering your inaccurate arguments against the vegan diet.

For the record, my child is 8yo, vegan since birth, very healthy, doing great at school and life. Our whole family is vegan and we don’t need eggs or dairy etc to thrive.

But please, go on about how much more you know about dietary requirements/vegans you, in the same thread, say you don’t want to know about or be “imposed” upon… while imposing your ill-informed opinions on me and others.

Yes, it’s sad YOU can’t respect that vegans CAN BE HEALTHY, or make an effort to listen to someone with lived experience of being vegan, with the support of multiple biomedical health professionals and evidence-informed literature.

Monty Ki oh goodness, thanks for your update, I am happy for you and all your healthy vegan family and trust this conversation thread is exhausted between us.
I appreciate your input to me as an ‘opportunity to learn more about the vegan diet’ – thank you, but I could & would investigate more into the vegan diet if I was interested.

Anura Samara Food is one of life’s great pleasures. I am not a vego or vegan but an omnivore and my food choices are ethically considered and definitely not just fuel. So whether it be not eating Tas salmon because of the impact on the environment, sourcing milk where the calves continue to feed from mum as well provide for my monring coffee or adding a piece of ethically sourced meat to my risotto, lentils or other veg I always consider the impact. Many vegetarians or vegans I know do so because they don’t like the taste of meat just like I don’t like kale. For a few its a statement – fair enough.

Paul Kitson I totally agree, and my comment about fuel was probably too far. I guess my point was that all of us make constant decisions about what to eat, and choices should be available. Not providing that choice might be suit a person’s own morals, but really just comes across as rude.

Anura Samara food can be nutritious not just kilojoules/energy/fuel.
Dietary guidelines for vitamins, minerals, fibre & macro nutrients can be what people aim to eat to enhance their health.

Angela Robbers that’s all fuel in the end ie. fuel for particular biological processes in our bodies. You’re just talking about whether people use the right or wrong fuel, but again it’s their choice.

Anura Samara sorry no, fuel is energy.
Vitamins, minerals, fibre & water are not energy – basic nutrition, even high school teach this.
Agreed food choices or macro nutrients choice (CHO, protein & fats) all contribute to energy intake & have Australian recommended daily amounts.

Anura Samara I’m curious about the value you have assigned to foods being from “right or wrong fuel”.

Angela Robbers come on! I meant fuel in a generic sense, as in stuff you put in. Not fuel as in carbohydrates etc. You can get a properly balanced meal from a wide variety of sources, and people choose within all of that.

Anura Samara no. For non vegans food is a pleasure

Shaz Ray surely no every single meal is about pleasure? It can be, but doesn’t have to be nor even should be depending on the circumstances.

Anura Samara I’ll remember that when I’m eating my cereal in the morning 😂👍

Leanne Hermes Yes, I totally get that and would be happy to have a meat free meal.
However I don’t think that’s the point of the article or what Zoya is asking …at weddings/other events the host usually asks and accommodates dietary requests of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free etc
So, why cannot it be the other way round too in factoring dietary choice of meat eaters as an option too? Fair is fair

Shalini Nestor I dont know the friend in the article however people who had surgery on mouth / throat area when very young were commonly limited in the foods they ate. Whilst they might eat 3 veges, it might be ONLY those 3 and only prepared in one or 2 old fashioned ways. Other veges and foods they arent used to can trigger phobia. Ive come across a number of such over the years.

Yeah but that’s not what we’re talking about here; that’s entirely different. People with a genuine medical requirement (including sensory issues and phobias) is a dietary requirement not a preference. This article is about preference, otherwise it’s a no brainer of course you’d accommodate people.

Shalini Nestor so, vegetarians and vegans should also suck it if meat is on their plate with the three veg. Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are a choice, yet they get to put it down as a preference. I personally enjoy vegan dishes, but the point of the article is the double standard on what is an acceptable dietary requirement.

Mel Lisa it’s not even the same… meat eaters eat veggies, albeit as side dishes not the main event otherwise I dare not think about the state of their bowels due to the lack of fibre. Unless it’s medically or ethically, or religiously required… you can suck it up if the event in question has been organised by veggo friends who would really rather not have meat.

It’s like someone complaining they can’t get a non-halal meat dish at a Muslim wedding.

Shalini Nestor My experience is such people often identify as fussy eaters. Their families ( and often they ) see it as a preference

Mel Lisa not all vegan and vegetarians are due to preference.

I’m vegetarian because eating meat makes me sick.

As Shalini stated the meat eaters are normally able to eat the whole meal meat and vege. It’d be a different case if they had so many things they couldn’t eat due to medical or preference that they can only eat meat.

And my point still goes back to Fussy eaters may have a basis for it, of which they arent even aware. I know people intolerant to FODMAPs and dairy protein
Until diagnosed only a few years ago, they were fussy eaters. Now we know there was a reason for their fussiness. Interestingly they arent keen on meat but ALL animal proteins are ok. Fruit and veges get complicated. So what im saying is , just cause it seems like a choice to others, and even if they THINK its a choice, it may not be and i suggest terms like fussy eater or medical etc assume that people’s experiences are irrelevant unless we can label them. Yet progress tells us there is often reasons we just dont understand yet

Shalini Nestor Yes sure this article is about preference – but I don’t think you get the point of the article or what Zoya is asking …at weddings/other events the host usually asks and accommodates dietary requests of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free etc
So, why cannot it be the other way round too in factoring dietary choice/preference of meat eaters as an option too? Fair is fair