Q: Our department often holds catered lunches for meetings and training. Although I've been with the company seven years, and everyone knows I'm a vegetarian, our lunches include absolutely no vegetarian options. I have asked the manager and the person ordering the meals that they also order vegetarian and healthy options. Can you recommend a graceful way to deal with this?

A: Before you snap and start pelting everyone with quinoa, it's time to get specific about how these flesh-fests affect you. Schedule a private sit-down with your manager: "I really want to join these meetings, but I often have to opt out because I can't eat anything with meat in it. I'm missing out on team-building and development opportunities, and I can't help feeling excluded." Then request again that a meatless option be made available — or that you be allowed to buy and expense your own takeout meal.

-- The Washington Post