Lack of vegetables.

Perhaps I shoul have done Absent, at the time we just got on with it, just nice to be out with family and friends. Mind you, if I had it would have been more carrots and peas, at this time of year there are so many lovely fresh veg it’s a shame, and I’m sorry, but peas on a roast dinner, it’s like sweet corn, a no no for me.

We rarely eat out, and in the past I've noticed the veg seem to have been pre-frozen.
M0nica - the first time I ate with a french person she told me that in France the vegetables were served separately, as a first course. They didn't like them all mixed together with meat and gravy etc.
Vegetables are special, and need a course of their own.
I don't think it's like that now though. Most french people seem to be converted to Macdo's.

I eat fruit for breakfast, salad or homemade vegetable soup for lunch and vegetables for dinner. Other things too, of course but plants make up most of every meal.
When eating with friends, who are mostly old like me, they treat vegetables and salad as a garnish. I wonder if this is because they grew up with long-boiled cabbage and carrots, as served up in school dinners? My mother was a very plain cook but never over-cooked vegetables.

Long-boiled cabbage - with bicarbonate of soda in the cooking water!

Just a tip, if any forum any forum members are travelling down to Devon or Cornwall on the M5, there is a large pub which does a lovely daily carvery just off junction 21 (Burnham on Sea)

Turn towards Weston Super Mare at the junction roundabout, and the pub is about a quarter mile down known as the Brent House. The carvery vegetables are absolutely lovely there and you can have as much as you can pile on the plate.

There are also two pubs just west of Bristol Airport which also do a daily roast just off the A38. Plenty of lovely vegetables there also if you want a "decent meal" before catching a flight.

Thanks Grandad!!
I have made a note.

This lack of vegetables in restaurant meals is a fairly new thing isn't it?
Not too long ago they would be included in the price of the meal, then I guess someone had the brainwave to charge for them as an 'extra' order.

Very annoying, especially considering that a healthy plate is meant to consist of half vegetables, a quarter protein, and a quarter carbohydrate.

Our local markets, farmers’ markets and food fairs are as good as any I’ve seen. We often call at the fabulous Kirkgate Market on our way home from Leeds (the largest covered market in Europe, as it happens) and stagger off with a couple of big bags of fruit and veg for around a fiver.

We must be blessed round here as I’ve never felt short-changed on the veg at our local pubs either. Always a good choice and generous portions, and they’ll bring more if you’re really greedy. I love my veg.

I think it is a national problem not regional OP. Only this week I ordered the fish and asked if the chips could be replaced by veg? Even offered to pay extra. The answer was no! Why I asked? You have pork, lamb with 3 veg? They replied because the fish comes with chips!!! What? They then said IF they provide veg with fish there may not be enough to
go around!!! ?. I didn’t know veg was YET in short supply! Needless to say I won’t be returning to said restaurant

I had fish the other day at a pub/restaurant (not battered, it was grilled with a prawn sauce). It was supposed to come with salad but friend and I wanted vegetables and they were quite happy to serve it with a generous portion of veg.

And your point Jalima1108 is? Not a lot of help really is it? bahaha

Thank you for the recommendation Grandad it has set me thinking, is there scope for a thread of recommended eateries?

Some years ago I had a short break in North Yorkshire. I had some lovely meals there, but by the time I got home I was craving fresh vegetables. All we were served were frozen peas. It's probably changed now but at the time I was quite shocked by this.

Bluegal I think you were unfortunate, and the restaurant should certainly go on the 'never again' list. I quite often ask for an item in a meal I order, usually mashed potatoes or an egg, to be replaced or not served. I have never had a problem.

I took a group of 30 people to a restaurant this week (I run a fine dining group from my U3A) and the vegetables to accompany the meals consisted of French beans, runner beans, courgette, sweet corn, mange tout, carrots and roast potatoes. All perfectly cooked and delicious.

Years ago we had a new kitchen (in the south). This meant that we budgetted to eat out for the 3 weeks it took. Vegetables were a really big problem and we were so glad to have a kitchen back so that we could cook & eat vegetables to our hearts content. We are both meat eaters so we were surprised ourselves. How do restaurants expect people to eat their 5 a day when they hardly ever give you veg with any meal.

I meet MIL every other Saturday morning in a local cafe, we have tea or coffee and I normally have the breakfast menu egg on toast. They always have a very pretty salad (lettuce, tomato, grated carrot and red onion), but I'm actually not keen on salad and somehow it feels wrong with breakfast!

We have a local pub in Cockington and they always serve beautiful vegetables. This is in South Devon.

Interesting thread. My husband and I always eat our 5 fruit and vegetables a day and are trying to do the current aim of 10 portions. OK it helps most of our meals are vegetarian as I do not eat meat. Just got back from my sister's wedding and amazed in a Lancashire pub and wedding venue the lack of vegetables unless it's a side dish or vegetarian. Also everyone appears to prefer soft white bread which we never eat at home. Glad to get back to my salads and broccoli!

DH and I eat out rather too often probably! We don't usually find lack of veg a problem. Occasionally need to order an additional veg. side to share but generally fine. Pulses are often a missed opportunity too! I often halve the meat in a recipe and replace with chickpeas/ beans etc. Cheaper & healthier!

PECS just cut out the meat altogether, adding Quorn instead and save some poor animals lives.☺
LABAZS how can you be vegetarian when you eat scampi and chips? Scampi was once a living, breathing creature.

I love salads and veg but hate potatoes in any form including chips. So when in a pub and having say a steak and chips I ask for a salad to replace the chips. Some places are really good and give me a good salad and at others I have been known to send it back as a leaf of lettuce and half a tomatoes is not a salad in my book.

Although lack of veg may sometimes be a problem when eating out, often DH is relieved when he can have peas or salad, as the veg is not sufficiently cooked for him to be able to eat it. Rock hard carrots and cauliflower are not my thing either. I quite like al dente, but not rock hard. DH has a swallowing problem so at home I have to overcook everything.

So many pubs near us now only seem to serve food that can come straight out of the freezer, hence the widespread use of peas with everything. Our nearest pub does lovely veg with its Sunday lunch, but any other day of the week you won’t do better than peas and chips. They will do salad, but it’s very much the single slice of tomato and cucumber resting on a leaf variety.

We’re in the Midlands, so no, I don’t think it’s a southern thing.

We live in Scotland. The privately owned pubs around us serve home cooked meals and always ask if you want salad or veg with it.