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Are You A Sage Foodie? A Quiz To Test Your Food Literacy

Screenshot of the Food Literacy Quiz

So, is almost upon us (it's Oct 24). And maybe it's time to test your mettle.

The folks behind this celebration have devised a Food Literacy Quiz to gauge your knowledge of all things food — from farm to table.

Think you know tomatoes? Well, by evaluating a series of photos shown in the first question of the quiz, you may learn something about how its seeds are dispersed.

There are a few trick questions aimed at getting us to re-think some of our assumptions about pests and fertilizers.

And sprinkled into the quiz are some great cocktail-party factoids, at least for the wonkier among us, such as: How much water is required to produce one serving of hamburger versus one serving of lettuce?

This question tripped me up, even though we've actually reported quite a bit on this topic during our Meat Week coverage.

And, of course, a question that should give all of us pause: Without giving it away, quiz-takers are reminded about the colossal amount of food that gets thrown away, wasted, each year in the U.S.

Finally, if you've always wondered how much of the average dollar spent on food actually ends up in the hands of the farmers and farm workers who grew it — well, there's an answer for you. And, organizers hope it will inspire you to get involved in efforts to change the food system.

As we've reported in years past, the folks who launched Food Day say it's a nationwide celebration aimed at bringing attention to the movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food.

Organizers say there's lots of ways to get involved — everything from hosting an event to, hey, just learning more about the issues.

Good luck.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Allison Aubrey is a correspondent for NPR News, where her stories can be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She's also a contributor to the PBS NewsHour and is one of the hosts of NPR's Life Kit.