If you’re reading this, you may have been tasked with the above. And we guarantee the colleague you’re researching this for has been asked at LEAST one of the following questions:
🥩 ‘But where do you get your protein?’
🧈 ‘What’s wrong with dairy?’
🥮 ‘You can just have a little bit, can you?’
🍞 ‘Oh, I found this great gluten-free bakery!’
Or maybe you’re the colleague that asked the question only to have an email sent to you by HR asking you to stop questioning your coworkers dietary choices. Why would someone not eat dairy, animals or animal by-products? Why are they so extreme? Who doesn’t wear wool?!
It’s 2024. There are more important things to worry about than what people eat, but it still boggles the minds of the masses. Are you wondering how you can help your vegan employees and colleagues feel more comfortable at work?
Here are some helpful tips to encourage and embrace plant-based eating in the workplace without being that annoying and invasive person:
Meatless Mondays: This is as simple as it gets: Meatless Mondays. Encourage your colleagues to ditch the meat on Mondays and pack a plant-based lunch. Have a company newsletter? Share a weekly veggie recipe. With 100’s of choices when it comes to vegetables…the possibilities are endless.
Kitchen Changes: Do you have some vegan or vegetarian employees and ample kitchen space? If there is room, offer the staff separate food storage and prep areas and ensure all staff clean their dishes properly.
Diverse Catering Options: With the wondrous magic of delivery apps like UberEats, Skip The Dishes and DoorDash, the world is at our fingertips. Next time you do a big office order for lunch, consult your vegan and veggie colleagues first. Many restaurants have at least one vegan option on the menu these days. Or go check out their favourite local restaurants and order plant-based food for everyone.
Ordering for clients and customers? Do the same thing! Ask ahead if they have any dietary restrictions, and ensure all your bases are covered.
Vending Machines: Vegan vending machines are all the rage these days. Our friends from Little Vegan Treats recently installed an ALL-vegan vending machine at the New Westminster SkyTrain station. Other companies like UpMeals have locations throughout B.C., including YVR Airport, Tswwassen Ferry Terminal, and much more. These vending machines carry a variety of healthy, plant-based options. Check out their website for their full list of locations or how to get an UpMeals vending machine in your office.
Veganuary: There is nothing coworkers like more than to challenge each other. Whether it’s a hockey pool, a step count challenge, the Grouse Grind, or a 10k, we live to be on top. I once went a whole year without McDonald’s (back when I ate eggs and cheese) for a measly $20. Veganuary takes workplace challenges to the next level. Veganuary started in 2014, and since then, millions of people have taken the one-month pledge to go vegan.
Holiday Events: Nothing is worse than getting to your work holiday party and realizing there is nothing to eat but plain rice and green salad. I mean, rice is great and don’t knock that stable green salad, but would it hurt to have butter-free potatoes and a cauliflower steak? Good news! If you’re organized and can plan ahead, you can add these options to the menu in advance! Fall is almost here, so you’ve probably already booked your holiday party. Contact the venue and let them know you would like to add some vegan options to the menu. Your vegan colleagues will thank you. PS: Check out the vegan PQ event we hosted earlier this year.
While these are only a few examples of how to embrace more plant-based eating in the workplace, there is a lot more to it than that. For some, veganism is more than a diet; it is also a lifestyle. Try to be mindful when planning staff events (like BBQs) and ensuring access to vegan-friendly uniforms when applicable. With small changes, your vegan and vegetarian colleagues will feel heard, seen, and accepted.
Sources:
https://veganuary.com/about/about-us/