Proper way to approach vegetarian options at employee grill?

The solution is simple -- speak up. It is no big deal to request that people use separate and clean utensils when they are ladling your food choices for you. You can be pleasant about it, but you really do need to speak up. I do it all the time. When I explain that I am vegetarian. people are very accommodating but they aren't mind readers.

If you are given grief by a server, then it is a simple matter of speaking with management. There are many people who are vegetarian for religious reasons -- in fact McDonald's lost a huge law suit a few years back for serving French Fries cooked in Tallow to the Indian Vegetarian Community and telling them that it was vegetarian oil.

The lesson is simple. Your food choices are to be respected for whatever reason: health, religion, personal choice, concern for the environment, compassion for the animals or whatever. Any sane, normal person and any business that wants your continued support needs to be respectful and accommodating of your choices. As for the poor selection offered to vegetarians -- that is a matter of conversation with management.and some reasonable suggestions. .Feel free to invite them to my site for recipes free for the download at

http://www.your-vegetarian-kitchen.com/home Good Luck!

You and th other vegetarians in the staff should get together and formulate a sort of petition letter to the proper manager or authority requesting for more vegetarian options in the employee cafeteria. or you can approach your union representative (if you are in a union) for the same purpose.

Although most people are omnis, many of them still enjoy a well prepared "strictly" vegetarian meal or dish so such a request is not unreasonable. At the very least, you can talk to the cafeteria manager about cross contamination during the food preparation.

No the meat was probably not in itself the cause of feeling sick.Your mind is repulsed by the thought of eating meat so your body reacted the way your mind told it to. Also many other factors that could have made you feel ill. (you did mention of cross contamination)

I would write a letter to the people in charge of the setup and ordering of the grilles. Just inform them politely that there are some poeple who hold different ideas of what food to eat and that they would be regarded as a more open-minded establishment if they gave more options.

*Depending on how long you have been a vegetarian, you might have felt sick after eating the quesadilla because it had meat in it. There could have been some meat that you didn't see and introducing food into a diet that you have been without is a slow process.

Shannon, I am not a vegitarian, but I respect your choice. It might serve you well to take to the management a well thought out letter with suggestions about the available vegetarian menu and what options could be easily implemented in the cafeterias. You also need to consider what they can offer on the menu that will not kill their budget or their time management. These are two things that they will look at when considering your suggestions. Also go around to other employees that you know frequent the two cafeterias and get their opinion, take that information with you to the manager. If the management refuses to make changes or upgrades to the menu regarding vegetarian options, then consider taking your own lunches from home. It will cost you less, but will take more of your time. Best wishes to you.

I like the suggestions about formulating a respectful letter outlining the fact that vegetarian items are getting mixed with non-vegetarian items. You might also want to touch on the fact that there are religious groups who do not partake of certain meat products as well, so it would be in the best interest of the company if they made these changes, advertized that they did, and it shows concern for global community at large and could not only save $$ but be a windfall for them if they realize that certain groups of people who have been avoiding dining at their facilities may opt to eat there in the future if their needs are met.

Sorta like catching more flies with honey than with vinegar. Explain how this can be a win-win situation for all concerned.

Definitely normal - and it's the reason that I stopped buying pizza and started making it at home. Even when I told them I was allergic to ham, I still always found bits of it on my pizza - and believe me, I tried many different places and they all do the same thing! They are messy and careless.

If you're somewhere that you can SEE what they're doing to your food, just explain that you are veg*n [or if it's easier, tell them you're allergic] and you would like them to use clean tongs. I do this at my local take-away noodles-in-a-box place and at first they thought I was sooooo strange, but now it's not such a big deal.

I mean, honestly... the thought of having your food touching a carcass is pretty disgusting to you. All you have to say is "would you like me to cook your food with tongs that have been in a bowl of boogers?? No.".

This is why I never do anyone else's dishes at work... touching their meaty dishes is worse/as bas as the idea of handling their mucous.

They might think I'm weird, but they at least respect it.

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As for feeling sick afterwards... well, I'm guessing that you ingested some meat somewhere along the way and because you're body isn't used to digesting it, it's upset your stomach.

It's great that you are trying to find a respectful way of dealing with this. Just explain to them that you are a vegetarian and ask that they use a different utensil on it.

Most people are more than willing to accommodate you if you don't overreact.

As for feeling sick, most of that is usually Psychosomatic. If you had consumed a big steak, then your body night have had trouble processing it.

wooo! i luv universal orlando! i have an annual pass! wooooo!

hahahah i live in fl and go to dr phillips high too.

hhahaha

neway

wen i went to this kobe's, on i drive. they were making my dinner and they did that to me. it was sick

i had them re make it.

im a vegetarian for religion, im not gnna break that. and i dont like eating meat too because i feel like im killing an animal. i usually go "we're vegetarians, so we were wondering if you had some vegetarian dishes." and then "could you make sure that there isnt any meat on your equipment, we are vegetarians."

that usually does it.

but yeah

theres not much to stop it

its sick

hahah thats interesttting,,

see u at universal!

If this is not a troll post I feel that you are over reacting. By your own admission you do not eat there regularly so why should the cafeteria cater to you. Write a very polite letter and then accept whatever the results are.

you should approach a highler level person, find the person in charge- start with human resources.

that's not normal to feel sick- maybe you accidentally ate some meat that snuck in :/