AllMovie

Two eleven-year-old girls take viewers on a tour of the road from the farm to the dinner table and explore the medical, political and economic issues behind the foods we eat in this family-friendly documentary. Sadie and Safiyah are two friends from New York City who, during a vacation in Ohio, discover some seriously delicious tomatoes in their salad one evening and learn they're locally grown organic produce. Wanting to know more about the difference between organic and conventionally grown vegetables, Sadie and Safiyah meet the farmers, and it sparks their interest in the subject of food and the variety of ways it makes its way to our plates. Director Catherine Gund follows the girls as they check out a farmers' market in New York, take a careful look at the ingredients of a typical frozen meal, talk with a man who has had to change his diet for the sake of his health, and try to find out just what's in a typical junk food snack as they learn more about healthy eating and how food can be good for the community and not just individuals. What's On Your Plate? was an official selection at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival.