Food Day: Urges Americans to 'eat real'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. organizers of Food Day say they want to encourage Americans to "eat real," and dump food such as Froot Loops which has no fruit.

Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit organization in Washington coordinating Food Day, said Food Day -- scheduled for Oct. 24 -- is a celebration of healthy, affordable and sustainably grown food.

"It's time to encourage Americans to eat real, which means more food from farmers markets -- and much less food, if any, from fast-food drive-throughs and vending machines," Jacobson said in a statement.

For example, Jacobson suggested cutting back, or cutting out, sugar-loaded "liquid candy" -- beverages such as soda -- which contains 9 teaspoons of sugar per can.

More than 1,500 events highlighting real food are planned from coast-to-coast in homes, schools, universities, parks and even in Times Square in New York, that will involve numerous politicians, cooks, farmers, physicians, consumers and celebrities, Jacobson said.

National organizations participating in Food Day include the American Public Health Association, the American Dietetic Association, Community Food Security Coalition, Earth Day Network, Farmers Market Coalition and many city- and state-level organizations, Jacobson said.