Today is National Food Day, and events are taking place across the country to support six goals:

Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms

Promote health by curbing junk food marketing to kids

Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

If you’re interested in furthering some or all of these causes, here are some ideas to get involved or learn more:

Join me at EAT NYC today, October 24, at 6:30pm: Columbia Grammar and Prepatory School (5 W. 93rd St)

• I’ll be partnered with G-free NYC, the city’s only gluten-free marketplace, at EAT NYC– a celebration of local, healthful and sustainable eating in New York City.  There will be food tastings from some of NYC’s best restaurants…streaming episodes of “LUNCH NYC,” a TV series highlighting health-conscious goings-on around town…NYC organizations working hard to improve food systems in the city… and of course, a chance to chat with me about what’s on your mind as we nibble on free gluten-free, healthy snacks generously provided by Beanitos, Zing Bars, Kookie Karma, Mini Pops, Skinny Crisps and Purely Elizabeth!

Take Action on an issue important to you by signing a petition!

• E-mail a letter to Congress demanding that they take measures to fix our broken food system in the upcoming Farm Bill!  Click here to sign a letter that will be sent to your state Senator and representative in the House!

• Sign a petition to support pending legislation in your state requiring Genetically Modified Food to be labeled.

• Californians: Call Governor Jerry Brown and ask him to reverse the state’s decision to allow the use of carcinogenic pesticide Methyl Iodide on Strawberries!  Use the talking points and phone number provided by the Pesticide Action Network of North America provided here.

Visit a local farmer’s market and buy some fresh-in season produce to cook a from-scratch meal tonight!

• Here in New York, the Union Square Farmer’s Market is open for business today (Monday) until 6:00pm, and the stands are piled high with crispy local apples, the season’s first cruciferous veggies, gorgeous squash of varying shapes and sizes, and all the leafy greens, herbs, fresh baked breads and humanely-raised meat, eggs and cheese you need to complement your meal.
• To find a Farmer’s Market near you, visit Local Harvest’s website and enter your zip code!

Read a great book to learn more about the issues above!  Some recent reads I recommend are include:

• The Town that Food Saved, by Ben Hewitt
• Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer
• The End of the Line, by Charles Clover
• Food, Inc, by Karl Weber, Ed.

Vote with your wallet!

• No message is clearer to food manufacturers than the one you send by choosing to buy–or stop buying– their products.
•  If you eat meat, choose as humanely-and sustainably raised meat as you can afford (and eat less of it).
• Put your order in now for a Heritage Breed Turkey for Thanksgiving to avoid having to buy a factory-farmed variety.  (Attention GILT members: whole Amish Heritage breed turkeys are 30% off now @ gilttaste.com !)
• Choose Pastured or Certified Humane Eggs (and learn more about de-coding egg label claims by reading this helpful guide)
• Choose sustainable varieties of fish as recommended by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch (you can download the app!)

Happy Eating!