Being vegetarian has definitely become more popular in recent years. In fact, it’s never been easier to find a restaurant with at least two or three vegetarian options on the menu.
But in some places, vegetarians are still missing out when it comes to viable options for a meal.
When it comes to in-flight meal options – airlines often fall short – and the passengers who suffer the most from uninspired airplane food are those with dietary requirements.
Passenger Steve Hogarty experienced this first hand when he ordered the vegetarian option on a recent flight with Colombian airline Avianca.
Steve, a London-based journalist, was served an apple and a pear wrapped in cling wrap, served with a set of plastic cutlery. Classy.
Look, airplane meals are not so substantial or exciting in the first place. But seriously, at least give the guy a salad or something. Maybe some steamed vegetables or even a bread roll.
Listen: Have you told your kids where their dinner came from? Post continues after audio…
Twitter users were just as baffled as Steve was, with some sharing their own experiences of ordering vegetarian options on flights.
One Twitter user revealed that on a recent British Airways flight, the cabin crew ran out of vegetarian options… so he was offered meat instead.
Avianca’s reply to Steve suggests the vegetarian ‘meal’ (if you can even call an apple and a pear a meal) was a mistake. The airline asked Steve him to contact them privately about the issue.
Top Comments
That Hindu Vegetarian meal suggested earlier would have to be a lot tastier and cooked with much more care & respect than those uninspired fruit & cheese meals.
People just don't get it - even after decades of Vegetarianism.
Sure, there are people who follow the Vegan / Vegetarian diet simply to eat healthier - nothing wrong with that.
As a vegetarian for 31yrs I can tell you that most of us are driven by something else.
Animal cruelty in the food industries.
We're not being "picky & difficult" - we simply choose not to be part of an animal-cruelty cycle and believe me, there's plenty of visual evidence available to support that horror.
BUT ...ethical omnivory does more to combat cruelty in the food industry than veganism.
Maybe try being Coeliac or have other food allergies ....we get a piece of fruit ... and people tease us- say we are over reacting.
I’ve been poisoned on flights when a GF meal isn’t provided (a “lifestyler” took my meal or the food was contaminated- it didn’t have my name on it!) that’s a international flight from Melb to The UK... with diarrhoea, migraine and cramping- (solely responsible for 2 small children) ...... imagine if we you were anaphylactic and Airlines didn’t take you seriously
Sympathy to the Vegos and Vegans but it’s a lifestyle.... Airlines need to take food restrictions seriously - no matter what.
In the same boat (plane?) as you re health - that’s why I bring my own food.
Airline food could land me in hospital.
Having learnt a good deal about the industry though thanks to friends who are cabin crew, I feel kinda can’t expect them to cater for my needs. Even if I were to pay more, that’s not going to solve issues around meal storage room, ensuring the correct food is indeed onboard the plane I’ll end up boarding...maybe a meal voucher to use in airports would be a good solution for those with health reasons for not eating plane food?
As for the vegetarians and vegans, I don’t actually see what’s wrong with a tray full of fruit and veg - I mean, isn’t that the very definition of a vegetarian meal right there?