Everyone's a little bit racist...

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by StealthMode

One of my old co-workers (who was raised in China) told me I used chopsticks better than she did. It made me feel kinda like a boss.

Racist or nah?

[DubaiSis]

But if you're ordering lunch for a large group of people, asking for any dietary restrictions isn't too far out of line. If you're ordering sandwiches for 30 and someone asks for a salad instead, that's pretty easy to work around. Or to have some meat-free. To expect a custom order (no mayonnaise, extra mustard and really I never eat white bread) is just being annoying. But as the picky person, sometimes you just have to be prepared to go without. None of the employees in question are going to wither away if they had to skip one meal.

[AGDee]

I don't see why personal dietary needs would be less important than religious dietary needs. Many personal dietary needs are medically based- allergies, Crohn's Disease, lactose intolerance, Celiac's Disease.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I don't see why personal dietary needs would be less important than religious dietary needs. Many personal dietary needs are medically based- allergies, Crohn's Disease, lactose intolerance, Celiac's Disease.

That's another reason you need to just have a sandwich bar with things that people can mix and match and if someone wants to eat nothing but green peppers, no harm no foul.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Oh...this is an "is this racist" thread. Okay...

Ha!

Originally Posted by 33girl

That's another reason you need to just have a sandwich bar with things that people can mix and match and if someone wants to eat nothing but green peppers, no harm no foul.

And you'd piss off an entirety of West Indian/Caribbean people - having worked with many Carribean students, co-workers and acquaintances, cold meals are not acceptable. Most say it upsets their stomach. I thought it was just a few people being picky, but I realize almost EVERY WI I've met in a social setting with food rarely touch cold food (salads, sandwiches) or cold finger foods (raw veggies with dip, for example). I organized a 3-day conference and had about 30 students (out of say, 100ish) who would refuse to eat the sandwiches and potato salad offered. The next day we offered a hot pasta dish in addition to the sandwiches. Some were OK with that but others either brought their own food from home or went out to buy food.

Many of my former WI coworkers brought their lunches from home for lunch meetings unless they were sure the food was hot, and also send their children to school with hot lunches, making sure there are accommodations for their foods to be heated.