The Ethical Guide to Eating Out

I hate to put you all on a guilt trip, but when you go to certain restaurants and see the way those workers are treated, the way they are paid..
Don't you worry that your restaurant dollars are helping create a system that exploits vulnerable people?

I encourage everyone to eat more home cooked meals. If you have a family it can bring you together and you have more control over your nutrition and calories.

But when we can't eat at home, wouldn't you prefer to avoid exploitive places and use your money to promote more ethical restaurants?

Utne Reader just published a great article about this very topic.
They refer to some hard facts published in Mother Jones, another great magazine.

So eat smart and show some love to the people who cook your dinner!

Those are some great links! My family has been cooking at home a lot more often (mostly for money/health reasons) but when we eat out we try to stick to mom n pop type places. And it is SO EASY to find veggie/vegan places now that are also very environmentally conscious.

I just have to say, I saw the title and thought this was something else completely... :O

But in regards to what you wrote, I eat at home pretty much 99% of the time. I like making my own food.

Totally thought this thread was going to be about something else.

I didn't mean to ignore the issues of eating animals that were raised under stress in factory farms. Free-range chickens are obviously happier creatures.
Fish raised on a farm, while very humble creatures intellectually, are capable of suffering in overcrowded ponds. I am not totally against aquaculture, but we must be vigilent against abuse.

And I respect those who choose meatless diets.
If you don't want to do it forever, consider giving up meat for Lent.

I saw a show on Dr. Oz where it said by removing animal products from your diet you health will totally change to the better. Processed animal products are the reason of most peoples health ills.

Doctor oz.. lol turn off your TV

Originally Posted by indydude

I saw a show on Dr. Oz where it said by removing animal products from your diet you health will totally change to the better. Processed animal products are the reason of most peoples health ills.

Or it could just be that I don't know people are inherently human and as we all know us humans have been known to get ill. As of now we have the highest lifespan our species has ever had, I even have a vegetarian friend and she's a hell of a lot less healthy then I am and I eat a respectable amount of processed meat!

I don't eat in restaurants. I have ethical problems with the food waste, the labor issues, and the money involved.

My food budget is around $3-4 a day. Grains, beans, veggies and fruits, seasonings, tea.

I have ethical problems with "Doctor" Oz as well. I wonder how much he gets paid on the side to push various "food cures" each week?

Maybe it was Dr. Drew, lol, point is animal products, especially the myriad of processes they go thru are healthy. The food pyramid was wrong when meat was the majority of the meal.