US-based Indian woman slams workplace for ignoring vegetarian options in viral video

India Today

2 days ago

An Indian-origin woman based in the US has sparked conversation online after she shared her frustration over being left without food at a work event due to her vegetarian dietary preference.Runjhun Misra, known to her online followers as 'The Wicked Vegetarian', said she was initially excited when her workplace informed staff not to bring lunch, promising that food would be arranged for everyone. However, her excitement turned to disappointment when she realised there wasn't a single vegetarian option available.advertisementIn a now-viral video on Instagram, Runjhun recalled the experience and called out how vegetarians are routinely overlooked in catered events, even in supposedly inclusive setups.
'Raise your hand if you've ever gone hungry at a work event,' she began, before raising her own hand. Describing the moment, she said, 'So yesterday I was told 'Don't bring lunch because we are providing lunch for everyone'. And I was so excited.'When she arrived, she saw a generous spread of over 60 sandwiches, including halal, kosher, and gluten-free options. But when she asked for a vegetarian one, she was met with silence.'There was silence. There was complete silence,' she said. She added that while the caterers made space for several dietary restrictions, no one had considered vegetarians.Eventually, someone told her she could make a vegetarian sandwich herself. 'What they meant is what they always mean: you can take a meat sandwich and carefully peel back all the layers of meat that have been juiced into that sandwich and make it vegetarian,' she explained.advertisement'That doesn't make me want to eat a vegetarian sandwich. It makes me want to vomit,' she added.Runjhun, who is a physician and medical news correspondent, said this was not a one-off incident. In the caption of her video, she wrote: 'I walked out so disappointed that they felt bad and offered to go grab me something after an hour but by then I had already ordered myself lunch because I was so hangry.'Take a look at her post here: Watch the video here. Her post triggered a wave of responses from people who have faced similar situations. 'I feel like vegetarian should be the norm, and then you can add meat and cheese if you want. So much more inclusive that way,' a user said. Another user shared their frustration with corporate conferences: 'They order a few vegetarian sandwiches that are spread out with the rest, but the meat eaters take them, so the vegetarians are left with nothing.''At my old corporate job, they would always order a vegetarian sandwich for me, but I would never find it. I found out later that my coworker would take it and throw it away before I could get to it,' one of the users said. advertisementThe incident, while personal, touched on a broader issue: How vegetarianism, especially among Indian professionals abroad, is often ignored in spaces that claim to value inclusion.- Ends