Vegans and Business Luncheons?

I'm vegan and I've had to attend more and more business luncheons lately and find it very awkward as to what to do when the meetings are held at places that have basically nothing on the menu that I can eat. The meeting organizers know my food preferences and still always book meetings at vegan unfriendly restaurants. While I'm fine to eat before or after the meeting since the meeting is about work not about chowing down, I find it awkward to be the center of attention with everyone asking me if there is anything on the menu I can eat and then discussing my eating habits and "pickiness". I usually order a very basic salad and eat a meal later but others feel like it is there business to comment that I never eat and that my eating habits are unhealthy as they are sitting at the luncheon munching on burgers and fries. I am not in charge of organizing the luncheons and even if I was, these people would never go to a vegan restaurant so how do I feel less tormented while at these events?

I think it has a lot to do with culture.. I work in a very multi-cultural environment and we do take the care of accommodating everyone. There are many vegetarians and other selective eaters, and none of it is really bewildering for anyone.

Perhaps you could speak directly with the people organizing those events and making your preferences clear to them. You can let them know that they don't necessarily have to hold the event at a "vegan only" restaurant, but that you would appreciate if they took your preferences into account... you are part of the team, after all, and you matter as much as the rest of them, they should be willing to accommodate you as well.

When you get a notice for an upcoming event, stop by casually to speak with the organizer, and mention this in a very friendly, casual manner.

Try a just-catty enough comment to get everyone off your case. Something along the lines of

"While I appreciate everyone's need to criticize my food choices, I believe we came here today to discuss *fill in work-related subject*"

Munch down on your salad, and take secret pleasure in knowing they care little for their diets now, but as soon as they start having heart attacks, they'll be wishing they had been more like you.

Deflect the attention. Understand that the source of their disparaging is guilt for eating junk, and take the conversation to a new place. Example, "gosh, is there anything on the menu for heart-club-heart?" and you calmly say, "oh sure, there's lots here... Hey, did anybody see Heroes last night?"

The more you explain yourself, the harder they're going to nitpick. I'm a vegetarian, used to be a vegan, and I find people confessing to me a lot about how little red meat they actually eat. They know it's not good for 'em but they like the stuff, so I let 'em off the hook by saying I never liked the stuff but understand some people do, and then move on from the topic of diet and nutrition.

Just make dietary issues a non-issue. Find out what each of them is more interested in than picking on you and use the info to distract them from the nitpicking and get them talking about things that get them enthusiastic in a positive way. You can do it!

Personally I'd ask them about what they were eating. Umm... I think I'm going to have a salad...what are you eating again?

"comment that I never eat and that my eating habits are unhealthy as they are sitting at the luncheon munching on burgers and fries"------only an idiot would say that as you've described it. If they say that to you then they should have a business meeting about sensitivity training.

You had salad? That's fine for a meal isn't it?

This is a perfect example of what's so difficult to understand regarding vegans. For one thing, torment isn't the right word to describe inconvenience. Let's be blunt. There really is no such thing as a vegan friendly restaurant if you use the word vegan literally. The restaurants all use produce that's been fertilized with rendered animal parts or manure. Even the salad you eat.

According to the vegans here in this forum, you can only do what you can do to live a true vegan lifestyle in today's world. So, just as you make the choice to accept the conditions of the produce that you eat, why, in a situation that you have no control over, can you not accept the conditions of other menu items?

Salad, rice, veges even french fries are all options.

My point is, why inconvenience yourself at these business meetings when you can do the best you can to be as vegan as is possible? Eat before, eat after or eat during.

veggie love---I agree. If they want to talk about the food, give them an earful!

Dr. Obvious----ironic name. You assume all meaters have guilt but some of us don't. My questions to vegers revolve around double standards. Why is one thing ok and the other not? Stuff like that. Why can you eat produce fertilized with animal parts but you can't eat a soup with beef broth? Both are products of the same leftover animal parts right?

Since it is likely that you will always be in the minority at these events you can assume you are just going to have to "deal" with this.
I am Vegan with multiple food allergies, Unless it is a fast food place I rarely go hungry.
I find a nice salad & baked potato are fine..shoot there is no reason you can't have 2 salads if need be. Lemon, & Olive Oil as a dressing.
But I do agree it is ironic that they think you eat wrong, when they are killing themselves with their own forks. Time will show them the truth.

Call ahead of time to request a vegan dish . I've never been turned down by cooks for a nice meatless meal.

Sounds to me like they're questioning their own diets and in asking you, they are looking for that final push to get themselves onto a veg diet too.

It's true that when I'm found out to be a vegan, people usually excuse their own meat diets without my ever saying a thing about it. It seems to me that people are indeed thinking veg but just can't quite make that adjustment.

You're doing good work to be patient with them. The magnetic attraction is towards veg.