5 Ways to Participate in Food Day

Monday is "Food Day," a national event sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest to "push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way," according to FoodDay.org. Here are a few ways to participate locally.

1. Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson is sponsoring a "Perfect Plates" promotion at local eateries. For $5, you can get a healthy portion of a meatless dish that's good for you and good for the planet. Cabo Fresh and the Curry Club are participating, as well as a number of eateries in Port Jefferson and Port Jefferson Station. Click here for more details.

2. Food network star chef Marc Bynum will demonstrate sustainable cooking at Stony Brook University's Student Activities Center from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, an event which will include a farmer's market.

3. At Stony Brook University Medical Center, a noontime screening of a documentary Forks Over Knives will be held in Health Sciences Center lecture hall 6. The rooftop garden of the Health Sciences Center will be expanded with a planting of garlic at 4 p.m., which the public is invited to attend.

4. Suffolk County is hosting a Food Day celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Dennison building in Hauppauge, where visitors can enjoy food-related displays and demonstrations from various organizations.

5. Since the concept of Food Day includes ideas like supporting sustainable farming practices and fair practices for workers, head down to stores like Wild by Nature in Setauket, Whole Foods in Lake Grove, or Fair Trade Winds in Stony Brook to pick up some food items and treats that fall into those categories, or head to a local farmstand to support the local farm industry.