Okay, people with food allergies, please don’t get mad. I have to share a tip that really, really worked.
Over the weekend I attended the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. I registered months ago. When I filled out the online application and chose which meals I would participate in I was given an option to indicate “vegetarian.” Well, I think we’ve all been there, right? Most conferences, banquets, weddings, etc. offer a cheese/dairy/egg kind of vegetarian option. Not vegan. Directly under the meal selection section of the registration form there was a question, “Do you have allergies?” I wrote, “Yes. Vegan.”
I arrived at the conference site Friday and received my registration packet. Meal tickets were included.
Based on the meals listed, I was pretty sure that those would be vegetarian, not vegan, options. First clue? The Saturday lunch, which you can’t see, indicated Egg Salad. But I assumed that big red ticket with *****ALLERGY*****Vegan must mean something.
It did.
Black beans and veggies over toast
I enjoyed flavorful vegan meals with beans, grilled veggies and a fabulous stuffed squash with wild rice.
I had a chance to meet the chef at the Colorado Springs Marriott on Saturday evening and I thanked him for offering a variety of veggies, beans and grains with each meal, as well as fruit when dessert was offered. He was feeding hundreds of people for four days and the vegans were fed well along the way. YAY!
In December I claimed “allergy” when I registered for the conference. Little did I know that soon this would be made available:
Captain V is the vegan allergy bracelet for children from AllerMates.
If your child is engaged with the healthy lifestyle of Vegan then the MediMates by AllerMates, Captain V awareness wristband is the one for you! It is designed to fit most kids from the age of 2 years old and up. Not only is this wristband fashionable and fun but it also serves as an important reminder of your child’s diet.
-Three adjustable snaps; S=5 3/4″, M=6 1/4″, L=6 3/4″
-Latex free band & nickel free snaps.
-Meets and exceeds US and European safety standards.
I bought one.
No, I don’t have children.
Don’t judge.
And don’t judge when I use the vegan allergy notation again. It worked!
16 thoughts on “I have an allergy: VEGAN (How to maintain your plant-based diet at a conference)”
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OMG – the little nugget is getting one of those bracelets immediately! I always struggle because she encounters so many different adults each day that it’s not unheard of for them to feed her string cheese or some other non-vegan snack (which, she is lactose intolerant, so they shouldn’t be doing that anyway, but this would definitely serve as a great reminder).
Oh good, I’m glad that link to the Captain V bracelet was helpful, @las_dos_ashleys:disqus!
Since I do have allergies, if I don’t think they get veganism I do sometimes just lump it all into allergies about food. Sometimes people don’t take you seriously. And us vegans are allergic to cruelty! It makes us upset! 😉 Love the bracelets.
Ha, I love, that, @1ba58f3ed24b1b0e4c276d609ad3eb59:disqus! I’m definitely allergic to cruelty! 😉
Love it! I’ve occasionally told servers in restaurants that I’m allergic to cheese if something is accidentally delivered to me with cheese (after I’ve already specified that I wanted it without). That way, I KNOW they’ll make it right for me.
Good tip, @a2da25b31bb18ec3b56b64a7de22d4cc:disqus!
Brilliant!
Ha! Thanks, @twitter-68553050:disqus!
Oh my goodness. That bracelet. THAT BRACELET!
I dont have kids… but I do have tiny wrists… 😀
@MeShellG:disqus! Same here, small bracelets + no kids = that bracelet is MINE! 🙂
I love this idea and the bracelet too! I want one for me 🙂 I have had good luck calling places ahead for large group functions as well. One place told me the chef worked at a vegan restaurant before! I certainly didn’t expect that!
Thank you for sharing!
Yes, @2a3ab45f615b99b59f08d2b52da45bf8:disqus, calling ahead is such a great idea! Thanks for suggesting it!
I will try this for a day long court conference I am attending in a few weeks. I put vegetarian on the selection for lunch and resigned myself to have what was offered or bring my own food. Now I will email the organizers and let them know that because of a health condition, dairy and egg ingredients will have to be left out of my meal. Thanks.
@1b1cd2d14faef95d52090aaa29579c0e:disqus, I would love to hear how it goes for you/how they respond. Good luck!
Wow, lucky you! I actually just attended the Northern Colorado Writer’s Conference this weekend and the vegan meals left A LOT to be desired . . . They don’t seem to get too creative. For breakfast, they gave me some tofu steaks that were so dry and covered in so much cayenne, I couldn’t even eat them! Oh well, at least I brought back up granola bars!
Oh, that’s too bad @1c180e1071e4d2b11b34e6102e7fed4e:disqus!