❓What do I do if my school or company cafeteria doesn't have a vegetarian counter?

Start by checking whether the cafeteria has any home-style or vegetable-focused counters — even without a dedicated vegetarian label, a lot of stalls serve stir-fried greens, stir-fried bean sprouts, or mapo tofu (just ask if it has ground meat in it) that you can eat. Tell the person serving, "please don't add meat," ahead of time — a lot of counters can adjust on the spot. If there's really no option long-term, it's worth giving feedback to the cafeteria management or the student union/staff association — more and more school and company cafeterias are adding vegetarian counters these days, and the more people who speak up, the more likely things improve. Day to day, you can also bring your own braised dried tofu, hard-boiled eggs (if you eat eggs), or a simple packed lunch as backup, so you're not entirely dependent on whatever the cafeteria happens to have that day.