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Ask A Nice Vegan
There’s Never Enough of the Vegetarian Option
How to negotiate for better lunch options for all — and how to give up if it doesn’t work
Dear Nice Vegan,
I work at a tech startup that provides free lunch three days a week. There’s always vegetarian and vegan options alongside several options for meat-eaters, but often folks who aren’t necessarily strictly vegetarian still want to eat the vegetarian food option. Which is understandable, and I hope it’s serving as a reminder that food without any dead animals can be delicious too!The problem is that since the catering team seems to expect only a few vegetarians, the meat eaters (who also often grab both a piece of chicken AND a bit of marinated tofu or what have you) often finish off the veg entree before those of us that can’t eat anything else even get there. I’m typically in a meeting when lunch is first called, and more often than not I’m just left with a vegetable side like mashed potatoes or a bit of salad next to an empty tray of delicious vegetarian protein that’s been completely decimated.
I feel weird complaining about free food, but it would be nice if there was enough of the stuff I can eat to go around — how can I raise this without seeming ungrateful?
