What is Food Day?

Food Day, celebrated Oct. 24, is a nationwide focus on healthy, affordable, and sustainable food.

You could argue that every day is food day, since finding your next meal is a daily problem that every person on the planet faces every day.

Food Day (Oct. 24) in the United States aims to raise awareness around issues in our food system – from growing to transportation to consumption – and create sustainable solutions for the challenges it faces. It is a grass-roots movement created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to promote healthier diets, support sustainable food systems, reduce hunger, improve the environmental standards of factory farms, and support fair working conditions for food and farm workers.

Thousands of students on more 250 college campuses in 46 states are participating in Food Day on Oct. 24. On-campus events range from cook-offs and movie screenings to public demonstrations and local food banquets. Food Day is being co-coordinated by Real Food Challenge, the largest national student organization committed to building a just and sustainable food economy, and CSPI.

CSPI has also created away for you to participate right there as you sit at your computer. Take their "Do You Eat Real?" quiz at http://www.foodday.org/quiz to become more aware of the food you put on your plate and the impact it has on the environment around you.

Or use their dinner party kit, complete with games, trivia, and recipes from notable foodies (such as, Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, and Lynne Rossetto Kasper) to invite friends and family to think beyond their dinner plate.

To join or find out about a Food Day activity happening near you, go to http://www.foodday.org/all_events and type in your zipcode.