Hypocritical? Musings on Organics

[kijip]

I spend the money (slowly built up to committing to this) and at home nearly everything we eat is organic or local/close enough for me. The non-organic things are the bulk spices, the odd candy items, pudding cups for Toby and the produce on the cleanest list if the organic version is unavailable.

But we eat out a fair bit and I have no intention of only going to organic restaurants. In fact a tend to avoid them as I am not a vegetarian and when I go out to eat, I tend to look for meat items (since we don't eat a huge amount at home, lol) and most such places in Seattle are vegan places. I feel no worry about the odd fast food items. About all I worry about is not going to places with questionable fish (in Seattle it is easy to find wild seafood while eating out) and, getting wheat bread if I have any bread and getting kosher hot-dogs (taste.)

So I am feeling a bit hypocritical but I am presently justifying this with it is not feasible to eat in everyday for us. Also, I subscribe to the "I will do what I can, when I can" line of thinking. Thoughts? If you are choosing to eat organics, how do you feel about eating out?

[aliceinwonderland]

Eating out is an off time for us. I spend enough time thinking about this stuff as it is, I need the break.

[kedss]

Hiya Katie-

Sometimes we will buy organics and we will support our local health food store buy shopping there sometimes. When we got out to eat, its usually because we are too tired to cook or because we happen to be out. So we aren't necessarily going to go to a restaurant because they use organics or not, usually we like cheap and something that DS will eat.

:)

[Jenn98]

I don't eat organic (not available where I live) for most things but I think I can answer your question. You make choices every day toward being a better, healthier person. For you, eating organic is one of those. But you cannot possibly eat organic *everything* your entire life, so as long as you make as much of an effort as you can to stick to your priciples, then that's all you can do. I wouldn't feel guilty about it at all. It's like having a bite of ice cream while on a diet. It's silly to think you can never have ice cream again if you are dieting. But the differenc eis in having a bite and not the whole container! That's how I see it at least!

[icunurse]

I don't think it is hyprocritical at all. You do the best you can and it sounds like you are doing a lot! We are trying to switch to more of an organic/local diet, too, but it is difficult to find much organic selection where I live and to find something in a nearby restaurant? I don't even think we have that option. So, we do the best we can with what we have and I don't feel too guilty for our "cheats", as I feel like the rest will either balance out or negate that stuff. If we had more eating out options, I would probably try harder to use them, but it is just not an option for us.

[chlobo]

My feeling is that you can only do what you can. And if there aren't restaurants that serve free range cattle in the neighborhood then so be it. Plus, I view my efforts at getting my family to eat more healthy as a continuum. In the world in which we live I think it would be impossible to live the ideal unless you are on a farm growing everything yourself.

Just like you probably sneak some junk food every once in a while (ice cream, fries, etc) well you eat out. Especially with two working parents it would be impossible, I think, to never eat out. Plus, I derive a great deal of pleasure from eating a nicely prepared meal that someone else made. I will say that when I'm out I tend to shy away from meats and tend more towards seafood.

[madelinesmom]

I try to buy organic when I can, we live in a small town so they are not plentiful. The only way I could eat organic without having a garden would be to drive 2 hours to Houston on a weekly basis, or I guess I could dry shipping but I am not sure that is a viable option, especially when it comes to fresh fruit and vegetables. We have no organic restaurants in my town but this is my criteria for a restaurant, depending on the situation:

Children involved:
-Concrete floors
-cheap
-fast
-loud
This is usually Mexican for us...

Children not involved:
-nice atmosphere
-liquor
-expensive
-the kind of place where others don't bring their children.

The latter doesn't happen very often, but gosh I enjoy it when it does...



Jane
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[brittone2]

If I was going out to eat every night of the week it would be more of an issue for me. We eat almost exclusively organic/local but not certified organic at home, but during the 1x a week or so we are out to dinner I really try not to worry. Like you, I skip things on the most contaminated lists (certain fish, etc.) but overall I don't sweat it.

Really, it is all about reducing your overall consumption of the ick. By cutting out most of the pesticides, hormones, etc. you are already way ahead. Your daily exposure is probably very little in comparison to most people.

I don't think of it as hypocritical because really, it is almost impossible to do it all-or-nothing. You've reduced the "bad" stuff in your life significantly by making the choices you've made. Every little bit you cut back on the hormone/pesticide stuff benefits your body, even if you can't do it 100 percent.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I used to be really hard core about it but I learned that if I didn't loosen up while eating out I was going to starve. There are times that eating out (car trips...) and eating at the home of people who have dif't food values (my parents, for example) is just inevitable. My particulair angle is not towards organics though, it is towards basic crap (mainly PHO and HFCS).

I try to eat only at local restaurants (not places like Applebee's) as I feel the food is most likely fresher thus doesn't have as much junk in them. I have a small but good list of restaurants I trust and pretty much only eat there. The one local "chain" always has a list out of what local vendors they have bought their chicken and X vegetables from so I like that!

I think that you have to draw your personal line somewhere and it's ok if you aren't 100% in line all the times with your food beliefs. I think it would be really hard to function in the world if we couldn't at least be a bit flexible. :) I know eat at the baseball game and amusement park where before I wouldn't; sometimes you just get hungry. :)

Beth

[denna]

Hey Katie-

I completely understand how you feel. DH and I eat as much organic as we possibly can living overseas it makes it a little more difficult but luckily we have found some Italian Organic stores right down the block from where we live. I usually dont feel guilty about eating out because I do the best I can when I have the resources to do it. And like pps have said eating out is a 'time-off' for me :). I do feel guilty when MIL comes (who *only* eats organic) and complains about eating pizza and pasta *all* of the time! I mean c'mon what do you expect we are in ITALY! Lets go get Ethiopian :D.

Okay so the point of my story is not to make yourself feel guilty you doing great w/ what you can.

Enjoy,