Tap Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) Serious question (I am in no way trying to make light of anyone's dietary preferences): If a person has a food based rule that is not medical in nature, how does that person feel about eating in places where the food is prepared for them? Just for discussion....lets say my name is Bonnie Bovine and I am a carnivore (I ONLY eat meat). I have a moral belief that lettuce should not touch my plate! If I go to a restaurant and order an ala carte steak and ask for no salad/garnish... How do I know it was kept separate? How do I know that lettuce was not on my plate and then removed? How would I know that the same serving utensil used for the steak, wasn't also used for an slice of eggplant? I have a vegetarian friend who says "as long as I am not aware of inadvertent contamination....it is fine". That is for her, and her own personal religious beliefs. If that how most people handle it? I wonder about this, because I have worked in food service. I would absolutely expect cross contamination to occur on most food. I would never really believe that my meal would be free of ANY and ALL contamination. This is what I don't get....If I expected cross contamination to occur, would I just turn a blind eye and say "as long as I am not aware of it...." like my friend does? Or would I say "my belief is~don't eat veggies~ so I cannot morally eat in any restaurant that serves veggies due to unknown contamination?" Sorry, if this is confusing.:tongue_smilie: How do your or yours handle these situations? You can put it all on me and tell Bonnie what she should do! You would have to hit me over the head with a stick to offend me so let loose! Edited October 7, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 For me, as an EO, it's important not to let my religious fasting be an undue burden for other people. If that helps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 People are not always logically consistent in their practice of their belief. Often people will find that the desire to eat out socially or for business reasons trumps their religious belief at that moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 If I am unable to dine in a restaurant that caters to a specific dietary requirement (and there is no deathly allergy) then you just have to do the best you can with what is available and hope that the people preparing your food respect and honor your request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 You either have to turn a blind eye to any incidental cross contamination or only eat food you prepare or that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt was prepared properly. I have no food allergies, but am very sensitive to carbs and sugars. I will end up with a migraine if I am not careful. I'm also a picky eater. Eating out usually isn't a big deal on the rare occasional time we eat out, but eating a friend's house can be a problem. If I think there will be a problem I eat before hand, then eat lightly or snack on those items I am okay with at the "event". I would not expect anyone to accommodate me, but it's nice to be asked. On the flip side, I try to remember to ask if anyone has any special dietary needs. I do my best to accommodate. But, in my opinion, medical issues are way more important than religious or personal preferences. Fire away! :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 My food issues are medical in nature, but I thought I'd answer anyways :tongue_smilie: One of my close friends is vegetarian. I always chuckle when she just picks the meat out of something (like bacon bits in a salad, pepperoni on a pizza, etc.) I'm not vegetarian, but to me it seems strange because she doesn't eat meat because of animal cruelty. Well, by eating the salad with bacon bits removed or removing pepperoni from a pizza, it seems counter productive because those animals were still killed, they're just now being wasted :confused: I do know someone however, who fasts at different times throughout the year for religious reasons. She makes it a rule not to burden someone with her special diet, because she knows there may be people who actually medically need to be catered to. If she forgets to mention beforehand about her dietary restrictions or they would interfere too much with someone's plans, she'll just suck it up and eat. She is 100% positive God won't smite her :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 My kids and I are vegan. My hubby is ovo-lacto vegetarian. For us, it's an ethical choice. (Okay, for me it's more than ethical. It's part of my spiritual practice. But "ethical" is the easiest way to say it.) We do the best we can to verify that our food is not contaminated. We tend to eat in nicer restaurants, and we do our best to explain our needs politely. If we have doubts for any reason, we ask. Short of sticking with vegan restaraunts (tough to do, since there aren't many and there are even fewer good ones) or never eating food anyone else has prepared, it's all we can do. I suspect the way people handle this has much to do with their motivation for the dietary choice. In my case, since my motivation is making every possible effort not to contribute to the exploitation and suffering of my fellow beings, I refuse to order and pay for foods containing animal products. Although I do my best to avoid any accidents, if a plate on its way to me accidentally came in contact with a piece of cheese, it wouldn't undo the good I'm trying to accomplish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I don't know how to answer your question, but I'm :lol: at Bonnie Bovine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 For one of my kids it is a life and death situation. If ANY of his food has touched peanuts or tree nuts, he will have a reaction that needs medical attention. As a result, we choose to eat out at VERY few restaurants. We vacation with companies we trust explicitly (Disney and Disney Cruise Line). They really do understand these issues. My ds CANNOT eat anhything that has touched a nut product. We had a rough week last week. Ds had a reaction at a resort while we were in Mexico . It was at a buffet we were told was safe. He was rushed to the local ER (ironically, the same ER where his brother was recovering from an emergency appendectomy after being taken off the Disney Wonder!!!). Anyway, for us it is a life and death situation. We pick and choose our restaurants/vacation spots VERY carefully. It will be a VERY long time before I trust another restaurant for ds ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hmm, pretty sure they aren't putting coffee or wine in my water with lemon. I won''t eat tiramusu bub I am fine eating beer brawts or a wine sauce where it has cooked out. At least that is my understanding. I don't think to much about it. It is just how it is. It never crosses my mind when i am dining out... Much easier than say eating kosher, or gluten free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 The one that *really* boggles my mind is the sign up in the Whole Foods that reads (something like): "Our bread slicer is used for all breads. In order to maintain the organic integrity of your purchase, you may choose to slice your bread at home." But the breads are all just sitting next to each other in the bins! Surely the amount of integrity that is being compromised is just as great there. And do people really care *that* much anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 And do people really care *that* much anyway? Yes. Some folks do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 The one that *really* boggles my mind is the sign up in the Whole Foods that reads (something like): "Our bread slicer is used for all breads. In order to maintain the organic integrity of your purchase, you may choose to slice your bread at home." But the breads are all just sitting next to each other in the bins! Surely the amount of integrity that is being compromised is just as great there. And do people really care *that* much anyway? I sure as heck don't want my bread touching one with nut products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Well, nuts is different. The OP asked the question about non-medical food issues specifically. And the sign is clearly intended for people concerned about "organic integrity," not allergy issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I guess I'm goofy in that I hold honoring religious and ethical reasons in the same esteem as food allergies. It's not up to me to determine what is OK in someone else's world or not. And FTR, I have seen a bunch of "very allergic" people make some :confused: choices too, but again, it isn't my call. I can sort of relate to this as I have a mild crab allergy, but there's TMI ALERT certain times of the month where I can totally sneak a bit of crab into my diet. Now, there are folks who make their eating needs a banner, and that's flat out annoying, but I bet they'd be annoying without their eating needs too. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Three of my dd are vegetarian. This was primarily an ethical/moral decision on their part that they felt very strongly about. When they were much younger, I had to sneak out of the house to eat meat and then be sure to hide the evidence. They were even opposed to leather and other animal products. As time went by they relaxed a little to the point where they had the if I don't know then ok and now they have reached the point where they will eat food that has touched meat. So maybe it has to do with her point in her journey. Being hypervilagent is warranted if it is a serious medical or ethical issue but if not then it could easily turn into OCD which can also be a serious medical/mental health issue. Just like anything else in life, a person has to find balance in their own life on their own issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Well, we follow a "religious diet". We try to make reasonably sure things are halaal, but you reach a point where you do the best you can and hope for the best. I know others who are stricter than we are, in that they will not for example eat in a restaurant where pork/alcohol is served, or will specifically request at a pizza place that a new cutter/utensils are used on their pizza. Honestly, these days I am more afraid of deliberate contamination if I ask (has happened before), so I order and hope for the best. If I have heard of a problem at a specific place I will avoid it, but I don't go back into the kitchens to inspect. We live in a Muslim-majority country most of the year now, and are therefore a lot less vigilant here. I still check labels on imported items, I have found some that don't meet our interpretation of halaal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Hmm, pretty sure they aren't putting coffee or wine in my water with lemon. I won''t eat tiramusu bub I am fine eating beer brawts or a wine sauce where it has cooked out. At least that is my understanding. I don't think to much about it. It is just how it is. It never crosses my mind when i am dining out... Much easier than say eating kosher, or gluten free. May I ask you a question....or anyone else that is LDS. I have an acquaintance/friend that I know from homeschooling. Sometimes we meet at her house early in the morning for a kids activity. I would love to bring coffee with me, as I usually do other places, but I wouldn't want to put her on the spot since her faith has cost her in our very small homeschooling community. (very Evangelical area that believe LDS are, and I quote "wolves in sheep's clothing" and should not be allowed around their children) So my question is.....Does the LDS faith mean no caffeine for your consumption, or that coffee in itself is bad and shouldn't be around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Dh is a "don't ask, don't tell" vegetarian. Seriously, for him it's just the ick factor of eating animals. He really doesn't want to be told if there's chicken broth in the salsa they bring with the chips before the meal. Now I have a young friend who keeps kosher and occasionally eats at our house. Since the house is vegetarian (even though I eat meat when we go out), and I've gotten instructions on what he can and can't be served (who knew you had to check the jar of jam to see if there was grape juice in it?), I give him snacks when he visits. Last time he was here, at snack time I gave the kids boiled eggs. He clearly didn't want to have the boiled egg (he was holding out for the Granola Bar of Last Resort), and, thinking quickly, asked if it was definitely a hen's egg, and demanded to see the carton. Turns out, the carton nowhere specifically said the eggs were hen's eggs. So he triumphantly refused to eat it, on the grounds it might be a not-kosher ostrich egg for all he knew. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felicity Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 May I ask you a question....or anyone else that is LDS. I have an acquaintance/friend that I know from homeschooling. Sometimes we meet at her house early in the morning for a kids activity. I would love to bring coffee with me, as I usually do other places, but I wouldn't want to put her on the spot since her faith has cost her in our very small homeschooling community. (very Evangelical area that believe LDS are, and I quote "wolves in sheep's clothing" and should not be allowed around their children) So my question is.....Does the LDS faith mean no caffeine for your consumption, or that coffee in itself is bad and shouldn't be around? If it's okay for me to jump in...for me, by all means, bring your coffee. Maybe not a coffee pot, but a cup for yourself is completely fine. In fact, if you are at my house I may be drinking hot cocoa or apple cider in a Starbucks travel mug. And for me, like a previous LDS poster, it's not easy to sneak alcohol I to most foods. But if a knife was first used on a dessert w/ coffee or something in it, I probably won't even notice. The only time I've had a problem was a few years ago at Bunco. I had been part of the group for a couple of years when one of he hosts made everything with alcohol in it and then kept telling me to try things b/c they were so good. It was a bunch of dessert either soaked in alcohol or w/ alcohol as the main ingredient. She absolutely knew what she was doing. That was my last night with the group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I'm LDS and having a guest drink their own coffee in my home is something that would probably differ from person to person. I would be okay with a guest bringing in a cup of coffee to my home that they had just picked up but would neither drink it and would of course not allow my children to drink it. It's something that I personally don't drink but I understand others don't have the same dietary restrictions and/or belief. On the other hand, I am very uncomfortable with any guests drinking alcohol in my home and if someone brought a bottle of wine over I would probably ask them to leave it unopened and send them home with it, thanking them for their gesture of trying to share with us but explaining my religious beliefs. If I am out in a social or business setting or in someone else's home and there is alcohol I will drink something else and try not to make a big deal of it as alcohol is present in so many social situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 The only time I've had a problem was a few years ago at Bunco. I had been part of the group for a couple of years when one of he hosts made everything with alcohol in it and then kept telling me to try things b/c they were so good. It was a bunch of dessert either soaked in alcohol or w/ alcohol as the main ingredient. She absolutely knew what she was doing. That was my last night with the group. How crass. Apart from the bigotry, did she expect that her social circle would never include a recovering alcoholic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 The only time I've had a problem was a few years ago at Bunco. I had been part of the group for a couple of years when one of he hosts made everything with alcohol in it and then kept telling me to try things b/c they were so good. It was a bunch of dessert either soaked in alcohol or w/ alcohol as the main ingredient. She absolutely knew what she was doing. That was my last night with the group. I really, really don't understand this sort of behaviour. Does she expect that when the sip of alcohol crosses your lips you'll spring to your feet, and shout 'I WAS WRONG! I'M LEAVING MY CHURCH TO JOIN YOURS! I CAN'T LIVE ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT THIS! NOW PLEASE BRING ME A MARGARITA!" Or ... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felicity Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I really, really don't understand this sort of behaviour. Does she expect that when the sip of alcohol crosses your lips you'll spring to your feet, and shout 'I WAS WRONG! I'M LEAVING MY CHURCH TO JOIN YOURS! I CAN'T LIVE ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT THIS! NOW PLEASE BRING ME A MARGARITA!" Or ... ? That would have at least been entertaining. Being the only sober person in a group of eleven other women who've been both eating and drinking their alcohol is not real fun. It was a very strange night all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) The only time I've had a problem was a few years ago at Bunco. I had been part of the group for a couple of years when one of he hosts made everything with alcohol in it and then kept telling me to try things b/c they were so good. It was a bunch of dessert either soaked in alcohol or w/ alcohol as the main ingredient. She absolutely knew what she was doing. That was my last night with the group. I think some people just enjoy the discomfort of others, I don't get it. But I have experienced it many times. Sorry you had a rotten experience! Edited October 7, 2011 by Kate in Arabia fixing punctuation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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