Insta-shame food for a good cause

You know how you can’t resist sharing perfectly-styled, overly-filtered photographs of your meals? Well, now you can use your food narcissism for good, as every food photo you post, be it the good, the bad or the downright un-filtered, could mean a real meal for someone who is in desperate need.

Yup, Virgin Mobile is challenging Australians to get real and start posting everything they’re eating. Why? Because according to research 49 per cent of Australians regularly post food pictures on social media (a whopping 71 million food photos per year), yet two million Australians are reliant on food relief every year and 90 per cent of Australian food relief agencies are not able to meet demand.

To tackle this imbalance, last year Virgin Mobile launched #mealforameal. Every time someone takes a photo of a meal and shares it on social media with the hashtag #mealforameal, Virgin Mobile will donate to OzHarvest so they are able to deliver a real meal to a person in need. So far, over 260,000 food pics have been turned into real meals but Virgin Mobile want to go even bigger.

This year Virgin Mobile want all food pictures – they want the instantly regretted 3am kebabs and the classic student lunch of two-minute noodles just as much as the 8-course degustation in the hottest new restaurant. Why? Because every meal counts for a good cause. Forget the filters and don’t be so precious (did you know that 41 per cent of people would happily stand on a chair to get the best angle and 61 per cent re-arrange the dish to get the perfect shot). Get hashtagging and help feed the hungry.

Celebrated French chef Guillaume Brahimi has hopped on board to help Aussies get behind the cause and loosen up their styling and filtering. He says: “I’m always on my mobile taking pictures of food. I love that social media has allowed us to celebrate and be inspired by food. But I’ll admit, I can spend a bit too long getting the perfect shot! I strive for perfection in everything I do – the best ingredients, technique, presentation. To be a good chef you have to! But when you consider that Virgin Mobile is turning every food picture – good and bad – into a real meal for someone less fortunate, why wouldn’t you start posting everything you’re eating? Come on Australia, every meal counts.”

To find out more about the #mealforameal initiative and the incredible work that OzHarvest do, including further ways you can show your support, visit makingmobilebetter.com.au.