We attended a wedding tonight and, as often happens, there really was no vegetarian option except a plate full of steamed spinach, carrots, cauliflower and a baked white potato. I had to ask for beans, which I knew they had. They were part of the hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour. Now I’m all for eating a plate of veggies but I would expect a nice country club to have a little more imagination. They didn’t even have a fish option. All they served was beef and bird.
I don’t fault the hosts of the reception. This is an issue anywhere I go where a meal is part of the event. Often the “vegetarian” option is white pasta with marinara sauce. Or they put together a plate of steamed vegetables.
As people become more health conscious in their food choices and go more toward plant based eating, venues should be able to accommodate the needs of their clientele. I don’t care if someone is a carnivore…to each their own, but I would like just as much access to healthy and good tasting food as the meat eaters get. Often when a meat eater has the option to eat a vegetarian meal, they take it if it’s appealing.
If I’m in a restaurant that isn’t a chain with pre-made meals, I can get something appealing as long as I choose from ingredients that are already on the menu. Many places are more than happy to accommodate me. It’s mostly when I’m in a group setting and it’s a sit-down meal rather than a buffet that the situation I described happens.
So how do I overcome this obstacle? One thing I could do, but didn’t do tonight unfortunately, is I can eat something before I go to an event so I’m not so hungry at meal time. When I go to conferences, I generally take healthy snacks with me so when lunch is served I’m not starving. I also drink plenty of water. This helps me stay alert and of course, I need to go to the restroom often which gets me moving and not just sitting still. Water also helps to alleviate thirst that is masquerading as hunger.
I’ll be back home tomorrow in my own environment so meals will be much easier. An update on me…I did not go to the gym today. We had to travel several hours for this wedding but we did dance quite a bit so I’m counting that as a win in the exercise column.
What do you do to stay on track?
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