Emergency Preparedness: the non-veggie adventure

Today is Theme Day here at the b5 Science and Health Channel, this week hosted by Tris at Homely Scientist. When I heard the theme was ‘emergency preparedness’, I was delighted at the chance to discuss this very important topic with you all.

Picture it: you’re the honored guest at a dinner party, food lovingly and proudly prepared by an adorable older Italian woman who keeps gushing about how excited she is to have you in her humble home. She proudly presents you with the first course, a regional specialty that the entire family has spent the last two days preparing. All eyes are on you, nervously hoping that you’re going to approve of their efforts. You look down at your plate to see mounds of fatty ground beef soaking in oily chicken broth, with a touch of homemade pasta floating around. WHAT DO YOU DO?

You non-vegetarians out there are probably thinking “what’s the big deal?” I want you to picture being served monkey brains, or goat testicles, or whatever other food that would totally disgust you to eat in the same scenario. In other words, a true culinary emergency.

Obviously, you’d hope to avoid such a situation entirely. Here are three basic ways how:

Whenever you plan to eat food that isn’t prepared by you, notify your host of your diet restrictions. Offer to bring your own food (hosts will turn this offer down 99% of the time and be happy to accommodate you).

If you’re unsure whether a restaurant will be able to accommodate your needs, look up their menu online (many restaurants have their menu on their website these days) or call and ask.

If you’re still not sure you’ll be able to get something to eat, bring along some veggie snacks just in case.

So back to our Italian banquet, which actually happened to me many years ago. Would you refuse to eat it? Tell them you’re a vegetarian and risk watching adorable little Italian lady drop dead of a broken heart on the spot? Hide it in your handbag? Run screaming out of their house and hop on the next plane to San Fransico? What would you do?