#mealforameal Project Puts Your Annoying Food Photography to Good Use

If you thought 'foodstagramming' was largely frivolous, at least now it's for charity.

Jessica Surman
July 14, 2014

We all follow that one Instagrammer who seems to share everything they eat — from decently presented but poorly lit cafe brunches to the monochromatic mac and cheese they're scoffing at home on a Wednesday night while watching Offspring with their poodle.

So you may be pleased to know Virgin Mobile Australia is launching a new initiative that will put those somewhat annoying, always frivolous and only occasionally applause-worthy food 'grams to actual good use. Every time foodstagrammers take a photo of a meal, share it on social media and use the hashtag #mealforameal, Virgin will donate to food rescue organisation OzHarvest — absolute legends who collect surplus food from commercial outlets and deliver real meals to people who need them. The company is jumping on the 'foodporn' bandwagon but using it to give back to vulnerable people around the country.

And now you and your compulsion for food snapping can get involved. To help launch the project in Sydney, Gelato Messina is serving up a new flavour made of food scraps. Really. Head to a Messina store on July 19 and try out the flavoursome experiment (which is only made from food scraps and apparently doesn't taste like food scraps). This is one situation in which you're practically required to take a photo of your food (just don't forget to tag it #mealforameal).

With public opinion on foodstagramming being that it is serious business — when it's good it's highly celebrated, and when it's bad it's lambasted (even when you're Martha Stewart) — the trend isn't predicted to die out any time soon. For those who thought they'd rather never see someone else's cronut or shakshuka eggs on their feed again? Well, now there's good reason to get off your high horse and get your lens on your ceviche.

Published on July 14, 2014 by Jessica Surman
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