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 Your new neighbors
invite you to a weekend cocktail party, but you’ve never told them about your
commitment to organic living.
Your boss asks you to lunch with a top client, and he
chooses a nearby steakhouse whose chef isn’t focused on organic food.
So, how do you deal with these common dining dilemmas? And
how can you follow the basic rules of social etiquette to avoid offending your
hosts? Self-proclaimed “avid foodie” Braden Rhetts of New York City
understands these familiar scenarios. She and her husband have been buying and
growing organic food for almost four years.
“I do try to seek out organic options when I am traveling
or dining out,” she says. “There are many times when I am out to eat with other
people, and I know that what is being served is not something I would feel
comfortable eating. It really is difficult to avoid offending someone in that
situation.”
But Rhetts believes there are solutions to these thorny
etiquette quandaries, and they begin with taking responsibility for your food,
just as diabetics and others with special nutritional needs must deal with
similar issues when dining out.
If you
are going out to a restaurant, call ahead and see what options there are,”
Rhetts tells OrganicAuthority. “If you are dining as a guest in someone’s home,
you might want to eat something beforehand so you won’t be famished if what is
being served is not acceptable to you. One can also volunteer to bring a dish;
that way, you know there will be at
least one thing you can eat.”
Etiquette experts agree with Rhetts’ suggestions.
“Today, many people have dietary restrictions and
definite philosophies regarding what they eat,” says Karen Hickman, an etiquette/protocol consultant with
Professional Courtesy LLC in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Good hosts will usually ask if their guests have specific dietary
restrictions or specific likes and dislikes.
“If the host does not ask, it would be considerate
of the guest to let the host know,” Hickman tells OrganicAuthority. “However,
be careful in placing too many demands on your host. If your diet is very
limited, consider asking the host if you can contribute to the dinner. If the
host declines, maybe it would be better to eat before you join the party.”
As for
business lunches, it’s perfectly acceptable to contact the restaurant
beforehand to make a special request, according to Marion Gellatly, president
of the Association of
Image Consultants International and founder of Powerful Presence, a California-based image management firm that offers business-etiquette
training and consulting.
”Explain
specifically what would be acceptable, and ask if they would be able to assist
you,” she tells OrganicAuthority. “If so, be sure to identify yourself when
you arrive. If not, decide whether you can tolerate a nonorganic
meal. Measure how important the business lunch or function is to
you. And be sure to thank the restaurant maitre d’ for accommodating
you. It’s all about manners and appreciation.”
Above all,
try to be flexible, Rhetts advises.
“In my experience, most people are fairly open to
reasonable suggestions if you calmly and clearly explain the situation,” she
says. “Note the use of the word ‘reasonable.’ Just because you only eat a
macrobiotic diet on alternate Saturdays is no reason why everyone else at a
dinner party has to. Be rational.”
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