Tips For Avoiding GMO Foods When Eating Out 

Have you been worried about the level of GMO foods that you are taking in? Otherwise known as genetically modified organisms or genetically engineered foods, GMO foods seem to be everywhere today once you stop to take a look at the ingredients that go into many of your favorite eats.

Because of this, many people who are conscious of what they are consuming have been shying away from dining out at a variety of restaurants. However, you should know that if you take a look at some of the restaurants in your area, there are some tips that you can follow in order to avoid those dreaded GMO foods.

Many people who are looking to avoid GMO foods as much as possible will have either a list put together that they can take with them to restaurants, almost like a cheat sheet if you will, or they will memorize the list in their head.

Once you find a restaurant that you would like to visit, you could even try to see one of their menus ahead of time either by stopping by to pick one up or seeing if they happen to have one online for viewing. This may sound more complicated than it sounds, but you might end up developing your own system to help you narrow down the foods that you can and cannot eat within a few minutes.

After you arrive at the restaurant, you should never be afraid to ask the waiter or waitress how the foods are prepared. A common question could be about the kinds of oils that they happen to cook or fry with. A good rule of thumb is to look for olive oil as a cooking agent. This runs the lowest risk of containing anything that is genetically engineered in any way.

If they do not use olive oil, then you can always ask what on the menu is cooked without any kind of oil. Another important tip to keep in mind on any menu is dairy. While some restaurants may carry GMO foods of a dairy nature, others may pride themselves on buying all of their milk and dairy products from cows that have not been treated with any kind of growth hormone (rBGH) whatsoever. If this is important to you, then it is imperative that you speak up and ask what kind of dairy products are used and if they are aware if any growth hormones were used at all.

Safe choices in many restaurants are broiled white fish, wild-caught salmon, gulf shrimp and free range chicken. Generally, unless it is advertised on the menu that the cattle or chicken is organic or free-range, it's best to skip that section on the menu and head to the seafood where you're more likely to get meals that aren't too overwhelmed with GMO ingredients.

Just because genetically modified foods aren't on the menu for you doesn't mean you still can't eat out, just skip the well known GMO foods such as breads and enjoy deep-water fish, a fresh salad (though you might want to skip the green peppers as most are now GMO) and there's no reason you can't enjoy a great night out with family or friends and still remain true to your healthy eating convictions.