Inclusive Food

There have been a lot of discussions in social media of late about social inclusion.

What about inclusive food? Food options that are inclusive of all diets. Gluten free and dairy free diets are not inclusive in the fast food industry. Customers are offered restricted options and are treated differently. Vegan foods are becoming better catered to but gluten free and dairy free diets are not as well catered to.

The problem is public misconceptions about diet.

Dairy free diets are not vegan or gluten free. People with dairy free diets have allergies or intolerances to dairy products. They still eat meat and grains. Just not dairy. Gluten free diets cannot eat gluten yet they can have dairy and meat products. Yet we always see the assumption that if you are dairy free you must also be gluten free and vegan.

There is also the assumption that vegans are gluten free.

I searched for gluten free cones options on a restaurant FAQ, the answer was no gluten free cones but a great vegan range. Gluten free diets are not vegan. Vegans are not gluten free and dairy free diets are neither gluten free nor vegan. It is not hard to make inclusive foods for everyone. What I hear most from our customers is the lack of options provided for them. The enjoyment of having varied options to choose from.

Everyone should feel included and valued at food establishments irrespective of their diet requirements. Extra costs for specialty diets is a common complaint. Why should these items be so much more expensive? No Moo 4 U charges the same price regardless of the diet requirements of our customers. No one is charged more. Options are wide and varied for everyone. As the percentage of Australians on special diets increases, let’s hope more foodies take this on board and cater to everyone, inclusively and fairly.