My food system is quite vague, simple and nutritious; I eat the same thing almost every day! For breakfast I will either have oatmeal or eggs; the oatmeal is purchased at superstore and the eggs are too unless on certain occasions my grandpa goes to a free range farm and will bring us chicken and eggs. For lunch I usually have a salad, where none of the vegetables I use are organic. Dinner consists of chicken breasts and vegetables, normally the chicken is from superstore as well as the vegetables (non-organic).
Although my regular food system is quite simple and easy to prepare, I dislike how I don't know where my food came from. It would be fair to assume the chickens and eggs came from a large holding farm, which does not provide the animals with a good life or death. I have never really tasted organic fruit or vegetables, so I can't really compare the two, but I do enjoy the taste of the vegetables and fruit I consume from superstore. I think for an environmentalist perspective I need to put more time, and potentially money, into what I purchase. I should start buying locally, and try and arrange all of my eggs, chicken and vegetables to be purchased locally. Ethically speaking, I think one is obligated to spend the extra few bucks and buy locally and from a respected farm then to support the mistreatment of animals and environmental issues caused by agriculture.
On weekends if I am out with friends, we will always end up going out to eat. I work at Prairie Ink, the McNally Robinson restaurant, and although they are known for the healthy and affordable dining, they walk over to Safeway to buy their products. None of their food is bought locally or is organic, and the amount of waste they produce is astronomical. Whether the chef made a mistake in the order, or a customer couldn't finish her meal, it`s thrown in the garbage. The garbage is emptied periodically and the washing machine (for napkins) is always running. So, when my friends and I go out to eat, I know what's going on within the restaurant and I think that this lifestyle where people go out to eat is taking us in the opposite direction of sustainable development. Not only are restaurants supporting conventional farming by purchasing at Safeway, but they are creating so much waste and not even disposing of it properly. For example, Prairie Ink has a compost box that ends up getting filled with garbage, and recyclable items are thrown in the trash as well. On a positive note the take out cutlery and boxes they use are all biodegradable.
