May 11 – National Eat What You Want Day

National Eat What You Want Day is Today!

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HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY STEP-BY-STEP

•  Favorite junk foods by state.
•  Read TheShelbyReport on favorite foods.
•  Pick out the best cheat meal for the day.
•  Pick out your favorite junk food.
•  Go out to eat at your favorite restaurant and indulge!
•  If you love the article image, purchase it on these fun products on Zazzle!

FEATURED ITEM FOR EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY

Are you tired of sticking to a strict diet? Well, mark your calendars for May 11th, because that’s National Eat What You Want Day! It’s the perfect excuse to indulge in your favorite guilty pleasures guilt-free. Whether it’s pizza, ice cream, or burgers, now is the time to treat yourself to that irresistible meal you’ve been avoiding. Embrace the day by inviting friends and family to join in on the celebration and make it a feast to remember.

Don’t forget to share your delicious creations on social media and use the hashtag #NationalEatWhatYouWantDay to join in on the fun!  What’s your favorite indulgence?

HISTORY OF THE JUNK FOOD EVOLUTION

The history of indulgent food dates back to the early 20th century when convenience became the norm and people started looking for easy and quick meals. The first recorded instance of junk food was in 1921, when the Eskimo Pie was introduced by Christian Kent Nelson. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s and 60s that the era of fast food truly began with the rise of popular chains like McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Since then, it’s been a constant quest to create new and increasingly outrageous flavors that continue to draw people in. From candy bars and chips to burgers and hot dogs, junk food has become a cultural icon in many parts of the world.

100 WAYS TO CELEBRATE EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY

1. Create a personal pizza party: Build your dream pizza with all your favorite toppings, no matter how unusual the combination.
2. Host an ice cream sundae bar: Set out a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings to let everyone build their ideal sundae.
3. Go on a food truck tour: Visit multiple food trucks to sample different types of street food in one afternoon.
4. Have breakfast for dinner: Make a hearty breakfast spread at dinnertime with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and whatever else you love.
5. Make a build-your-own sandwich station: Set out various bread, meats, cheeses, and condiments so everyone can make their perfect sandwich.
6. Indulge in an all-dessert meal: Skip the savory dishes and only eat desserts for one meal—cakes, cookies, brownies, and more.
7. Order from your favorite restaurant: No need to cook, just order your absolute favorite meal from a local restaurant.
8. Try an international buffet: Prepare or order small portions of foods from different cuisines around the world for a global tasting experience.
9. Make a DIY popcorn bar: Set up a station with different types of popcorn and toppings like caramel, chocolate, and cheese.
10. Host a chocolate tasting: Gather various kinds of chocolate—milk, dark, white, and flavored—and taste-test them all.
11. Bake a favorite childhood treat: Recreate a nostalgic snack or dessert from your childhood and enjoy the memories it brings back.
12. Cook a multi-course meal of your favorites: Create a menu that includes appetizers, mains, and desserts, all based on what you love to eat.
13. Enjoy a gourmet burger night: Craft your dream burger with all the fixings, from bacon to blue cheese to avocado.
14. Organize a cheese and charcuterie board: Put together a board of your favorite cheeses, meats, fruits, and crackers for snacking.
15. Make a pancake bar with toppings: Serve a stack of pancakes with various syrups, fruits, whipped cream, and more.
16. Go on a snack scavenger hunt: Visit different stores or markets to find rare or unusual snacks you’ve always wanted to try.
17. Create a personalized salad bar: Lay out various greens, veggies, proteins, and dressings so everyone can build their perfect salad.
18. Have a fries and dip tasting party: Make or order different styles of fries—curly, waffle, sweet potato—with a variety of dipping sauces.
19. Host a candy buffet: Set out jars of your favorite candies and let people pick and choose what they want to snack on.
20. Make your dream pasta dish: Prepare a pasta dish with your choice of sauce, toppings, and seasonings, exactly how you like it.
21. Create a DIY sushi station: Gather sushi-making ingredients and let everyone roll their own sushi with their favorite fillings.
22. Host a pie-making contest: Challenge friends or family to bake their favorite pies, then taste and vote on the best one.
23. Make loaded nachos: Layer chips with cheese, meat, beans, and your favorite toppings to create the ultimate nachos.
24. Try a blindfolded taste test: Sample various foods while blindfolded and guess what you’re eating.
25. Create a smoothie bar: Set out fruits, vegetables, and different liquids to let people create their perfect smoothie blend.
26. Food trivia game: Test your knowledge with a trivia game focused on food facts, recipes, and culinary history.
27. Blindfolded taste test challenge: Players sample different foods while blindfolded and try to guess what they’re eating.
28. Chopsticks food relay: Teams race to transfer small food items using only chopsticks.
29. Create-your-own-recipe competition: Players are given a set of random ingredients and must come up with a unique recipe on the spot.
30. Food charades: Act out different foods or cooking actions without speaking, while the others guess.
31. Food-related Pictionary: Draw food items, dishes, or culinary actions for others to guess within a time limit.
32. Marshmallow stacking challenge: Players compete to build the tallest tower of marshmallows within a set time frame.
33. Guess the ingredient game: Participants taste a dish or beverage and try to guess all the ingredients used.
34. Cookie decorating contest: Provide plain cookies and decorating supplies, and have players compete for the most creative designs.
35. Pizza dough tossing contest: See who can toss a pizza dough the highest or with the most style.
36. Speed pancake flipping challenge: Race to flip pancakes in a frying pan the most times in a minute without dropping them.
37. Jellybean guessing jar: Fill a jar with jellybeans and have players guess how many are inside. The closest guess wins.
38. Hot dog eating contest: See who can eat the most hot dogs in a given time period.
39. Food-themed scavenger hunt: Create a scavenger hunt where players must find specific food items or ingredients.
40. Gummy bear tower challenge: Players race to build the tallest tower using only gummy bears and toothpicks.
41. Food pun wordplay game: Challenge players to come up with as many food-related puns or jokes as they can.
42. Mystery smoothie challenge: Each player picks random ingredients from a list and blends them into a smoothie—taste-testing for fun results.
43. Candy relay race: Teams compete to move candy from one side of the room to the other using only spoons in their mouths.
44. Whipped cream pie face game: Players must avoid getting “pie” in the face by spinning a wheel and hoping the pie arm doesn’t go off.
45. Fruit salad relay: Teams work together to assemble a fruit salad by transporting fruit pieces one by one to a bowl.
46. Taco building relay race: Teams race to assemble a complete taco with ingredients spread out across a table.
47. Potato sack race with a twist: Players must hop to the finish line in a potato sack, but they also need to carry a snack item without dropping it.
48. Pin the cherry on the sundae: A food-themed version of “pin the tail on the donkey” where players try to place a cherry on a sundae while blindfolded.
49. Food memory game: Lay out various food items, then cover them. Players must recall as many as possible from memory.
50. Spaghetti and marshmallow tower challenge: Teams compete to build the tallest tower using uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows.
51. Felt food magnets: Craft miniature felt versions of your favorite foods and attach magnets to the back for a fun fridge decoration.
52. Clay food figurines: Sculpt tiny food items like pizza, donuts, or cupcakes from polymer clay and bake them to harden.
53. Painted food rocks: Paint rocks to look like different food items, such as burgers, fruits, or pastries, and use them as paperweights or decor.
54. DIY food-themed tote bag: Use fabric paint to decorate a canvas tote bag with images of your favorite foods.
55. Paper plate pizza craft: Cut and glue colored paper toppings onto a paper plate to create a slice of pizza.
56. Salt dough food ornaments: Shape salt dough into food shapes like cookies, cupcakes, or fruits, bake them, and paint when dry.
57. Food-themed friendship bracelets: Create bracelets with beads shaped like tiny fruits, veggies, or sweets for a fun food-themed accessory.
58. Faux sushi rolls: Use felt and cotton stuffing to create pretend sushi rolls for display or play.
59. Painted food coasters: Paint cork coasters with images of your favorite snacks, like cookies, donuts, or tacos.
60. Popsicle stick ice cream cones: Glue popsicle sticks together and paint them to look like colorful ice cream cones.
61. DIY donut pillow: Sew a circular pillow and decorate it to look like a donut, complete with fabric “sprinkles.”
62. Food-themed bookmarks: Cut out bookmarks from cardstock and decorate them with illustrations of food items you love.
63. Paper mâché fruit bowl: Make a paper mâché bowl and paint it to resemble a fruit, such as an apple or watermelon.
64. DIY recipe book: Craft a personalized recipe book by decorating a notebook cover with food illustrations and filling it with your favorite recipes.
65. Cereal box picture frames: Repurpose an empty cereal box by cutting out a frame and decorating it with painted food patterns.
66. Miniature food keychains: Craft tiny food items like burgers, fries, or cupcakes out of polymer clay and turn them into keychains.
67. Cupcake liner garland: Use colorful cupcake liners to create a decorative garland that looks like a string of sweet treats.
68. DIY cookie cutter stamps: Use cookie cutters to stamp food shapes into paint, then press them onto paper to create food-themed art.
69. Food-shaped candles: Melt wax and pour it into molds shaped like food items, such as cupcakes or fruit slices, to make candles.
70. Pom-pom fruit: Create fruit-shaped pom-poms like oranges, strawberries, or lemons using yarn and felt for leaves.
71. Food-themed mason jar gifts: Decorate mason jars with food-themed designs and fill them with treats to give as gifts.
72. Painted wooden food spoons: Paint wooden cooking spoons with fun food designs, like fruits or desserts, to use as kitchen decor.
73. DIY fabric food napkins: Sew or decorate napkins with stenciled food patterns, like burgers, pizza, or ice cream cones.
74. Food-inspired tie-dye shirts: Use tie-dye techniques to create shirts inspired by your favorite foods, like watermelon or rainbow ice cream colors.
75. DIY pizza party hats: Craft party hats that look like pizza slices by cutting and decorating cardstock with felt toppings.
76. Stuffed crust pizza: Make a homemade pizza with cheese-stuffed edges for an extra indulgent twist on a classic favorite.
77. Homemade mac and cheese: Whip up a creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese dish with a variety of your favorite cheeses.
78. Loaded baked potato: Bake a potato and load it up with butter, cheese, bacon, sour cream, and any other toppings you love.
79. Buffalo chicken wings: Fry or bake chicken wings and coat them in a spicy buffalo sauce, served with blue cheese or ranch dip.
80. Gourmet grilled cheese sandwich: Make a grilled cheese sandwich with multiple types of cheese and optional extras like bacon, tomato, or avocado.
81. Chocolate fondue: Melt chocolate and serve with a variety of dippable items like strawberries, marshmallows, and pretzels.
82. Fried chicken and waffles: Prepare crispy fried chicken and serve it over waffles, drizzled with syrup for a sweet and savory combination.
83. Homemade nachos: Layer tortilla chips with melted cheese, seasoned meat, beans, and your favorite toppings like guacamole and sour cream.
84. Deep dish pizza: Create a thick, hearty pizza with layers of cheese, sauce, and toppings in a deep dish crust.
85. Tacos with all the fixings: Prepare a taco bar with different types of meats, cheeses, salsas, and toppings for a customized taco experience.
86. Spaghetti carbonara: Make a rich pasta dish with eggs, Parmesan, pancetta, and black pepper for a creamy, savory treat.
87. Chicken parmesan: Bread and fry chicken cutlets, top with marinara sauce and mozzarella, and bake until bubbly.
88. Homemade sushi rolls: Roll your own sushi with fresh fish, veggies, and rice, customizing the fillings to your preference.
89. Sliders with a twist: Make mini burgers and get creative with different types of meat and toppings, like barbecue sauce or fried onions.
90. Shrimp scampi: Cook shrimp in a garlic butter and white wine sauce, served over pasta or with crusty bread.
91. BBQ pulled pork sandwiches: Slow-cook pork shoulder until tender, then shred it and mix with barbecue sauce, serving on soft buns.
92. Fried donuts: Fry up homemade donuts and coat them in sugar or glaze for a sweet treat.
93. Crepes with sweet and savory fillings: Make thin crepes and fill them with your choice of sweet options like Nutella or savory fillings like ham and cheese.
94. Homemade mozzarella sticks: Bread and fry mozzarella sticks until crispy and gooey, served with marinara sauce.
95. Philly cheesesteak sandwiches: Prepare thinly sliced steak with onions and peppers, topped with melted cheese in a hoagie roll.
96. Fish and chips: Fry battered fish and serve with crispy fries and a side of tartar sauce for dipping.
97. Loaded chili cheese fries: Top fries with chili, cheese, sour cream, and jalapeños for a hearty, indulgent dish.
98. Bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers: Stuff jalapeños with cream cheese, wrap them in bacon, and bake until crispy.
99. Homemade soft pretzels: Twist dough into pretzel shapes, bake them, and brush with butter, sprinkling with salt or cinnamon sugar.
100. Gourmet pancakes: Make fluffy pancakes and top them with decadent ingredients like whipped cream, berries, chocolate chips, and syrup.

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Do you have any ideas about how to celebrate National Eat What You Want Day?  Please share them!