Since when do we all have to know what everyone else eats?  Why can’t they go to a party and politely not eat what isn’t on their diet?  Why do they feel a need to tell everyone? For instance, they’ll say, “I’m a vegan, I’m a vegetarian, I’m sugar free, I’m gluten free.”  Or the latest a Keto Diet. Who cares.  Just take or eat what you like and not put everyone else out.

My biggest pet peeve is people in restaurants having the poor waiter return a plate of food that has something on it that they don’t eat.  It’s rude!  I feel like these types of people like controlling others with their dietary needs. It’s a control issue.  If you’re a vegan, for whatever dumb reason, just order veggies and shut the hell up.  Don’t ask the chef to create a meal just for you.  I notice lots of menus now have a vegan or gluten free entree.  But that doesn’t stop these self-absorbed, self-centered people from demanding something else from the chef. They love putting people out for some odd reason.

In the old days, people had more manners.  As kids we were taught to eat everything on the plate before we could leave the table. Now parents are allowing their kids to pick at their food and eat whatever they like on their plate.  This is where this rudeness begins, in the home. So when they become adults they feel entitled to make demands on their chef or their host at a dinner party.  It’s not cool!  Stop it!  You’re being rude.

If you don’t like what’s being served just take what you do like or can eat but please, please, don’t tell the rest of the guests what your dietary needs are.  We don’t care nor do we need to know. Some things are better left unsaid.  Just saying.

I sometimes watch the Below Deck reality show and am appalled by the rudeness of the guests that return food to the chef onboard to re-cook or make them something special.  Just about every episode has one or more of these rude people onboard–It’s too cold, it’s too rare, it’s too welldone, it’s not on my approved list, it’s too spicy.  But recently a group of happy women came onboard that loved everything that was served and never sent anything back to the kitchen.  They ate diary, carbs, gluten, meat, fishy fish, eggs, even cow’s tongue without one complaint and shared an abundance of laughs throughout the episode. They had no food restrictions which made them happier people. It was refreshing.

Be happy for whatever you’re served and don’t complain.  If there were more people like this group of women, the world would definitely be a better place.  There’s an old saying that my mother taught me,”If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”  That pertains to eating in a restaurant, unless there’s broken glass in your meal, of course. But these people who feel the need to return food to the chef and embarrass him, I have no use for.

If you’re a vegan and are invited to someone’s house for Thanksgiving where there will undoubtedly be butter, turkey, eggs, and creamy side dishes; just grin and bear it for one evening.  It won’t kill you.  Show some manners for once in your life and be appreciative that you were invited. Bring a vegan side dish or cake or pie if you must, but don’t tell everyone at the table.  They don’t care about your mission to stop cruelty to animals by not eating meat and dairy. Good for you but keep it to yourself.

One of my sons recently tried to pull this crap on me saying he doesn’t eat white bread any longer.  I said, “Well, I bought this bread especially for your visit, and you’ll just have to eat it or go without. I’m not making another trip to the store.” Tough love, but I still love him. He ate it. He shouldn’t have voiced his disapproval but rather just broke his eating rules for one day.  That’s the way I was taught. Why did he feel the need to say anything?  Why does anyone feel the need to say anything?  It’s not right. Just shut up and eat!