Choosing and eating out at an eco-friendly restaurant

A great way to encourage and support sustainable food production is by being selective about where you choose to dine. It's good to only buy seasonal produce from your local farmers market, organic supermarket brands and study nutritional labels to check for artificial preservatives and high sugar content. However, you will be undermining your environmentally friendly efforts by continuing to eat out at restaurants that irresponsibly source their ingredients.

By responsibly choosing the food you eat at a restaurant, you are likely to influence the food service industry into changing their ways and offering menus that are more eco-friendly. In addition to a greener menu, go for restaurants that are conservative with energy consumption and have applied principles of green sustainable architecture in their building construction. Check to also find out whether the restaurant treats their staff fairly before deciding to dine there. Below are some more tips to help you dine wisely.

Organic menus - Choose restaurants that list items that are organic, free-range or grass-fed on their menus, as well as mention the farm from which it sourced its meat or vegetables. In most cases, this farm will be a small local outfit which employs responsible agricultural practices. This gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you are dining on meat that was humanely raised, while also supporting the small farms by eating local. 

Sustainable seafood - Go for fish menus that feature on the Environmental Defense Fund's "Eco-Best" list, such as Wild Alaskan Salmon, stone crab, catfish Pacific halibut or mussels and clams. Avoid feasting in restaurants that serve ad choices such as sea bass, farm-raised Atlantic salmon, grouper or monk fish. 

Sustainable restaurant architecture - Dine at restaurants whose buildings have been designed and constructed using sustainable, energy efficient methods that are environmentally responsible. Such restaurants tend to also feature organic, health-focused menus. Even if the restaurant has not achieved certification such as Energy Star or LEED, find out if they have taken any special measures in their design and construction. These may include the use of energy efficient appliances and lighting, green cleaning methods and eco-friendly furniture constructed out of salvaged or reclaimed materials.

Go vegan! - In most cases, going to a vegetarian restaurant guarantees that you not only get to enjoy a healthy meal, but also dine in an eco-responsible environment in terms of sustainable food menus, efficiency in energy and water consumption, green disposal methods, minimal use of chemicals and reduced pollution.

Community involvement - Eat at restaurants that play an active role in their local community by partnering up to host local festivals, making donations to charitable causes and sponsoring kids' sporting events. This is a good indicator that the owner cares about their community and wants the best for its members. Always choose restaurants that have a demonstrated commitment to caring for the environment.