How to Find an Organic Restaurant

The green movement is rapidly gaining momentum, causing many people to modify their living habits. One way to help the environment is to support sustainable farming through buying organic food. The number of organic markets and restaurants is dramatically on the rise, as you can find several in most major cities. Here's how to find an organic restaurant that will please your palate and help our planet.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look for restaurants that advertise as organic or natural. Organic and natural foods are both grown using sustainable farming techniques, but the only the government certifies organic food.

2. Browse websites that emphasize green living. Many of these eco friendly sites have links to vegetarian, vegan and organic restaurants. There are also websites devoted to organic eating with guides to organic dining in major cities.

3. Support organic restaurants that purchase goods from local farmers. Restaurants that support local farms generally serve very fresh food. In addition, eating locally grown food provides financial support to local farms that suffer in competition against corporate farms.

4. Understand the wide range of organic foods. Many mistakenly conflate organic restaurants with vegetarian or vegan restaurants. You'll find that many fine dining organic restaurants serve vegetarian or vegan items and organic beef, chicken and seafood dishes.

5. Plan to spend more than you would for non-organic food. Sustainable farming is generally more expensive than conventional farming, so organic food tends to cost more. Call the restaurant ahead of time for pricing information to determine if it's in your price range.

6. Consider the health benefits of organic dining. Certified organic produce is free of conventional pesticides and organically grown meat contains no antibiotics or growth hormones. Certified organic foods are usually free of genetically modified organisms.

Tips & Warnings

• Organic and natural foods are not necessarily the same. Many conventional food companies describe their products as natural simply because they are free of artificial additives and preservatives. This labeling appeals to health and earth conscious consumers but can be misleading.

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Resources

• Guide to vegetarian, vegan and organic restaurants.