Answering questions, looking professional
Most of the time, nobody’s going to care if you order a cheese omelette rather than ham and eggs. But sometimes the comments will be pointed – they can even be just plain rude. If you’ve brought along a tempeh-and pita sandwich and your colleague in the next cubicle tells you it looks disgusting, or if somebody at a power lunch says something insulting because you’ve ordered a hummus plate instead of a club sandwich, your best strategy is to simply act surprised that they care so much about what you eat. It deflects the obnoxious behavior and puts it in perspective – why do they care so much about your food, anyway?
This is another situation in which you should be prepared to answer questions honestly but politely – and to keep your answers short. As we’ve mentioned already, you don’t want the focus to be on your diet, nor do you want to come off as lecturing. At this point you should already know the answers to common questions, but let’s review:
"So, what can you eat?" Tell them the truth, but downplay the tofu and seitan – you can eat almost anything, after all, and if you tell them that it’ll put their minds at ease. "Most of the same things you eat – pizza, spaghetti, burritos – just without the meat" is a good answer.
"Why do you become vegetarian?" How you answer this depends on how well you know the person asking the question, and how much personal detail you feel comfortable sharing with co-workers. Often, it’s best to highlight the health benefits of vegetarianism – sure, you could go into details about factory farming, the environment and the ethics of eating sentient creatures, but most people will get your message more readily if you simply make it clear that you’ve found that eating a meatless diet is better for your health.
"Will it bother you if I eat meat?" Your co-workers will probably want to make sure you’re comfortable, but often it’s more about them – they want to know that they won’t be judged if they continue to eat meat. The best way to get along with everyone is to respect their food choices and let them know that you aren’t going to look down on them for eating meat. If you simply can;t stand to be around people who are eating animal foods, find somewhere else to eat – but don’t make a big deal out of it.
In every food-related situation that you find yourself in, you’re an ambassador for vegetarianism. By maintaining the same calm, straightforward demeanor that you would in any professional situation, you’ll go a long way towards educating people that there’s nothing weird, boring or threatening about the vegetarian lifestyle.
When your boss foots the bill
Part of corporate life is showing up for conferences, training sessions and off-site meeting where food is "thoughtfully" provided for you. That thoughtfulness doesn’t always extend to offering vegetarian options, however. Don’t assume that vegetarian eaters will be catered to – if you know ahead of time that a corporate event is scheduled, by all means talk to your boss or to the employee in charge of planning the event and let them know you’d like a vegetarian meal. Usually, providing for vegetarians isn’t a problem – but whoever’s arranging for the food will need to know ahead of time how many vegetarian meals they need to provide. If it’s a big event, you’re unlikely to be the only vegetarian!
If the planner is unfamiliar with vegetarian meals, offer some suggestions. give her some ideas. Vegetable lasagna, spinach ravioli, Indian curries, eggplant Parmesan, vegetable burritos or hummus sandwiches are all dishes that can be made for a large number of people. If, for whatever reason, you’re unable to get a vegetarian meal, as always, make do with what’s on hand. Eat salad, bread and side dishes. Even in the nicest restaurants or hotels, you can request a baked potato and a salad, and the kitchen will be happy to provide it for you.
Always remember that professional behavior is as important at the dining table as it is in the boardroom. If you throw a hissy fit about your lunch you risk alienating your co-workers, and looking bad in front of your superiors. No one wants to work with someone who’s finicky, humorless, and inflexible, and that’s precisely what they’ll think of you if you can’t handle a single meal without throwing a tantrum.
Also keep in mind that while it may be perfectly acceptable to bring an alternate vegetarian dish to a friend’s home when they throw a dinner party, bringing your own food to a corporate event is tacky. Even if there’s nothing for you to eat except salad and bread sticks, put on a charming smile and eat what you can. Nobody said it would always be easy!
