Real Food Day
Nourish your body with fresh, whole foods that fuel your energy and leave you feeling satisfied, without the guilt and sluggishness of processed junk.
Position your real food brand or healthy lifestyle product as the antidote to processed food culture during June's Real Food Day awareness push.
- Share before/after health transformation stories tied to switching from processed to whole foods
- Host a 'fakeaway' recipe challenge on social media—encourage followers to recreate takeout favorites with real ingredients
- Partner with local restaurants or meal-prep services to offer Real Food Day dinner specials or cooking class events
- Create downloadable recipe packs or activity guides for families to celebrate together and build brand loyalty
Real Food Day was launched in 2019 to combat the rise in fast food and health-related conditions. The Public Health Collaboration started the day to show that by making real food and positive lifestyle changes, some conditions can improve and, in some cases, be reversed entirely by living a healthier life. Samuel Feltham, director of the PHC, ran a Fitness Bootcamp for five years, which means he’s no stranger to healthy living.
In 2016, he stopped his Bootcamp business to focus on the Public Health Collaboration. Since then, he’s founded a dream team of leading health professionals, from Cardiologists to Psychiatrists, to dive into and understand why people are living less healthy lives and what they can do to fix it.
But why do we love fake foods so much? From our weekly takeaways to our daily packet of crisps, it’s always hard to put down the packet and pick up a piece of fruit. You might treat fake food as a reward or compensation for a bad day – how many of us order a pizza and put our feet up on a Friday night after a manic week at work?
Scientists also say that the quick-fix sugar-hit you get with your soda gives you a rush, which then is followed by a sugar crash that leaves you craving that feeling again and wanting more. You can also get sugar-fix with fruit, veggies, and dairy, but these are released more gradually, so you can enjoy the feeling without experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions.
The increase in conditions related to an unhealthy lifestyle is a relatively new phenomenon. From 1960 to 1970 conditions like obesity remained pretty stable, but have since increased by 35% for adults and almost 50% for children. Obesity can be related to health conditions like Type II Diabetes and high blood pressure. Both conditions can be improved and even reversed by making real food and lifestyle choices, so it’s no wonder that the PHC is so active in raising awareness.
Eat Real Food
Real Food Day is the perfect way to celebrate that wholesome good food with your family and friends. Splurge on a healthy food shop and throw a dinner party to showcase the deliciousness that is real food eating. Want to distract kids for a few hours? Why not get them involved in the cooking and use some of the Real Food Day website activity packs to throw a little food education into the process.
Enjoy Some New Recipes
If you’re new to the world of real food, why not buy a ‘fakeaway’ recipe book, and replace that weekly takeaway with a cauliflower pizza-base or a real food alternative to your Indian takeaway. If you’re vegetarian, pescetarian, or vegan, there are hundreds of real food recipe books to meet your dietary needs. Not a cook? Well, we’ll forgive you, why not support your local real food restaurant and treat yourself to a real food night out.
Celebrate with Others
You can celebrate Real Food Day with everyone you know, from your kids to your colleagues, by downloading an activity pack and getting involved in the food fun! Packed with recipes, games, and quizzes, you’ll have everything you need for a real food party.
Show Support
Join in the Real Food Day party on social media by posting a photo with yourself, friends, family, or colleagues holding up a sign with the reason why you’re supporting the day. Have fun sharing your love of really good food and real healthy living!