Dealing with Groups
The ease of eating out varies hugely depending on where you are in the world, and also who you’re with.
Scenarios
Attending a function you didn’t organise
If you’re going a restaurant, find the menu online, and email the restaurant in advance with any questions you have. A little preparation can go a long way to making the process smoother.
If you’re attending a catered function, contact the organiser if possible and explain the dietary requirements of veganism.
Important: Specify No Meat, No Dairy, No Eggs, No Honey. Kind souls may be quick to say they know what veganism means, but all too often the lesser known things (e.g. honey) or even the better known things (e.g milk) get missed.
Visiting friends and family
This can be one of the most difficult scenarios to navigate in day to day life as a vegan. People can take food quite personally, and being told that you won’t eat their food can elicit a negative reaction.
Remember, what you put in your body is entirely down to you. No matter how other people feel, or what their expectations may be, you do not have to eat or drink anything you do not want to.
Getting this message across in a non-combative way can be challenging. If you have the means, and are willing to go the extra mile to keep the peace, try offering to cook, or bringing a preprepared meal for yourself or for everyone. Alternatively ask whether they can set a small portion of the meal aside that is vegan prior to being combined with the rest of the meal (e.g. side vegatables, rice, dried pasta, etc.).
Organising a meal
Whether at home, or in a restaurant, this can be one of the most rewarding activism experiences as it provides an opportunity to show off vegan food.
You may encounter some resistance if you choose a vegan place for a group of primarily omnivores, but consider how often you must make allowances for their ‘dietary choices’. Obviously whether this is a good idea is down to your judgement of the situation based on your knowledge of the crowd.
Resources
- HappyCow Is a wonderful website and app helping you to find vegan restaurants and vegan options near you