Did you know that you can turn apple cores into delicious applesauce?
Promoting healthy foods and reducing food waste are two of the ways that University of California campuses are celebrating World Food Day (Oct. 16) and National Food Day (Oct. 24). A weeklong series of special events will include cooking demonstrations, food drives, farmers markets, lectures and locally sourced meals at campus dining facilities.
The Food Day activities are part of the UC Global Food Initiative, which UC President Janet Napolitano launched last year to help put the world on a pathway to feed itself in ways that are nutritious and sustainable.
Those efforts start at home. UC students, faculty and staff are taking part in the UC Eats Real Food Day pledge to eat foods that are healthy, minimally processed and prepared in a sustainable and humane way. At UCLA, a former White House chef, the host of a popular food-focused radio show and a Slow Food Los Angeles leader are gathering Oct. 21 to discuss ways to reduce food waste.
Participants will learn how to transform apple cores, broccoli stems, citrus peels and other so-called food waste into delectable, nutritious fare: Citrus pound cake, anyone?
“The idea is to open people’s minds to the idea of cooking with items they may have never considered using before,” said UCLA assistant professor of integrative biology and physiology Amy Rowat. “This food is perfectly good to use, but people tend to throw these items, and others, away because they don’t know they’re still useful and edible.”
UC’s food efforts also extend beyond campus borders. For World Food Day, UC Davis hosted an event with a keynote by Daphne Miller, author of “Farmacology,” and a panel discussion on “Healthy Soils for a Healthy Life.” Also on Oct. 16, the UC Davis Horticulture Innovation Lab had a grand opening of its demonstration center, which will test new horticultural tools and demonstrate best practices for helping small-scale farmers better grow fruits and vegetables.
Here’s a taste of other Food Day events across the UC system:
- UC Berkeley, which won a national award for its extremely local dinner event – all ingredients from this meal come from within 250 miles of campus – from last Food Day, is at it again this Food Day with extremely local dinners in residential dining halls Oct. 23, along with a food fair that day featuring student organizations. On Oct. 21, the campus will celebrate the grand opening of Brown’s café, featuring local ingredients.
- UC Davis events will include an Oct. 19 roundtable featuring UC Davis professor Jonathan Eisen presenting on the topic “Microbes in Food and Agriculture,” and an Oct. 22 screening of the award-winning documentary “Just Eat It” about food waste and food rescue. Every Saturday in October, UC Davis is hosting a farm to table academy for the public.
- UC Irvine will host a Food Day table Oct. 22 focused on healthy eating, an Oct. 23 healthy cooking demo and a food drive lasting through Oct. 21 to benefit the Orange County Food Bank.
- In addition to its “Save the Food! From Farm to Table” event Oct. 21, UCLA hosted a film screening of “Cowspiracy” and will feature sustainable and locally grown items Oct. 23 in its Dining Commons and Santa Monica Cafeteria.
- UC Merced Dining Services is planning special menu items on Oct. 22, incorporating recipes from the Food Day website.
- UC Riverside’s activities include a produce cooking demonstration Oct. 19, “Seeds of Change” specialty entrees in residential dining facilities Oct. 20 featuring the principles of “think produce first” and “choose healthier oils,” snack samples from the campus’s healthy vending program and a presentation about the campus’s food pantry Oct. 21, a film screening of “Symphony of Soil” on Oct. 22, and a spa water challenge featuring student-submitted recipes Oct. 23.
- UC San Diego will host its fifth annual Sustainable Food Expo on Oct. 22 with sustainable food suppliers, community organizations and student organizations that are leaders in the real food movement. Events include the second annual Harvest Festival on Oct. 28 with a showcase of projects from Global Food Initiative fellows, an Oct. 29 screening of “Just Eat It,” tabling events with food samples Oct. 30 at UC San Diego Medical Center, and an ongoing fundraising effort for the Triton Food Pantry on Crowdsurf, UC San Diego’s crowdfunding platform.
- UC San Francisco will celebrate Food Day on Oct. 22, featuring local, sustainable and/or organic ingredients and vendor samples at three campus cafes as well as a discount on “Smart Choice” items at campus retail locations.
- UC Santa Barbara will celebrate Food Day as part of its Sustainability Week, with fresh produce samplings, tasting tables and menus focused on local and climate-friendly options.
- UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems will launch a weekly student-run organic produce pop-up cart Oct. 21 featuring produce from the UC Santa Cruz Farm; the event will include a seed exchange. On Oct. 23, UC Santa Cruz Dining will serve locally sourced food at each dining hall and the campus will launch an interactive, online version of its UCSC Food and Garden Guide.
- At the UC Office of the President, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and OP Staff Assembly will be celebrating Food Day from Oct. 19 to 23 by hosting a food drive to benefit the Alameda County Community Food Bank. The effort to raise awareness about the Global Food Initiative, food insecurity and healthy eating will include an Oct. 23 screening of “A Place at the Table.”
More information on UC Food Day events can be found on the Global Food Initiative calendar.
