How to avoid GMO Ingredients when eating out

Happy Aloha Friday!

How to avoid GMO Ingredients when eating out:

Being one who enjoys dining out,  I like to know what ingredients are in this amazing meal I am about to enjoy AND pay for. Here are some tips that will help you enjoy a healthier dining experience:

1. Unless labeled or listed organic (or from a reputable local farm the restaurant can verify doesn’t use GMO seeds or feed), I suggest avoiding these 8 genetically modified (GM) foods when dining out:
   • Corn
   • Soy
   • Sugar (beet sugar – i.e. refined sugar)
   • Papayas (from Hawaii)
   • Canola
   • Cotton (cottonseed oil)
   • Dairy (conventional American cow’s milk and cheese)
   • Zucchini/Yellow Squash
   • Conventional Meat (They are fed GM corn & soy)
2. GM corn, soy and canola oil are the cheapest for restaurants to purchase. Ask your server about the oils they use to make your food – this is where GMOs are hidden in almost everything from salad dressings to soups to pan or deep fried items.
3. Know the exceptions: Ask if the cheese is imported. A cheese from France means you are safe from rbGH – genetically engineered growth hormone and genetically modified ingredients, as this country has banned GMOs all together.
4. Look out for these hidden GM ingredients: Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.
5. Unless the sugar they use to make desserts is 100% pure cane, it’s likely from GM sugar beets
6. Consider having the Non-GMO Shopping Guide in your purse or pocket that has a list of GM ingredients that you want to avoid and give it to your waiter or even call ahead. If more people did this, maybe restaurants would start to pay more attention to the products they buy.