Vegans eat lettuce.

Hidy-ho friends!
Today I wanted to take a break from the food (well... not really) and talk about the one thing that bugs me (apart from the 1000005557768689 other things that bug me ) but the one thing that tends to bug me the most:)

So over the years I have been on school camps. Surprise surprise. Last year however was the first time I went on a plane somewhere and the first time I was on a camp where I was practically vegan (vegetarian, wheat, sugar and dairy free- easier to say vegan)

The first day was fine, I had packed all of my meals and was set. The next day.. not so much.
For lunch that day I was given a cheese sandwich on white bread with a jelly cup. Hmmm.

I'm not even kidding, it was pretty much this!
I brought it up with my form teacher, who gave me his apple and ate my sandwich for me (it was like a lunch swapsies.. but with your teacher?)
That night my friend came up to me and said she over heard a different teacher on the phone to the food providers about me.. this is what she said- no joke:
'Her allergy sheat said vegan... not dairy free.'

Yeh. Really.
Well, at least it was getting sorted... or so I thought!
The next day, I opened my specially labelled bag to find a big bowl of... lettuce.
I was fuming. This is one of the things that gets me when I tell people what I do and don't eat. They always respond with: 'So, what do you, like.. eat?'
Unfortunately the food providers weren't around to ask me that question (where I would have responded with my carefully and intelligently prepared speech on the enormity of foods out there) so I was given lettuce.

I find it so infuriating that we still live in a world that believes all vegetarian/ vegans can eat are vegetables. You'd think in this day and age with the almost alarming number of products at the super market, someone would have heard about other foods.
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you would know just how much I love food, just how big my appetite is and the range of foods I consume on a daily basis.
Hello:

 The days wore on slowly like this until I could physically feeling myself getting ill. This then lead to a major melt down, a tearful phone call to mum- begging her to take me home (I hadn't been sleeping either- I mean with a stomach full empty on lettuce how would that even be possible). Of course the school really wanted me to stay on and experience the rest of the trip, so I did as there weren't many days left. I munched through my endless salads and occasional plates of white rice (my tummy was not happy) and was extremely glad to go home.

Why write this post now? It was last year after all.
Well, I was talking to one of my friends (whom I had become closer with this year) and she went through the exact same thing- to the point where she begged them to let her go home. I don't know about you, but this is not how I want to remember my school trips and it would make a world of difference if extra care, time and planning went in for those of us who needed it for our diets. I put a lot of time and effort into my diet to make sure I get the nutrients I need (while also keeping it delicious) and it would make these camps so much more enjoyable if the providers could to.
It's funny though, because sometimes (like at weddings or dinners) the vegetarian option looks and tastes the best! I just wish it could be like that all the time!

So that's my opinion and feel free to comment if you agree/disagree/ have any thoughts on this topic.
Just thinking out loud over here- thanks Spoons for letting me do so :)
 
See you guys next time! :D