There are a lot of great food magazines on the newsstands these days. Anyone wanting to cook gourmet, or switch diets, or try something adventurous, can find a rich selection of magazines near the checkout line of nearly every supermarket.

But my nomination for the best food magazine this year is National Geographic. Seriously.

If you’re looking for recipes, don’t bother to try and find any back issues. If you want to dive into some thoughtful discussions about food, National Geographic has been the go-to source this year.

In May, the magazine launched a series of articles centered upon The New Food Revolution. In their opening article, the authors explained, “We would do well to pay attention to how food is produced and whether that is done in a sustainable, efficient, and safe manner.”

And pay attention they did. Many of the monthly instalments were serious, sobering articles exploring the challenges of growing food for an expanding population without diminishing our finite natural resources.  As I passed the newsstand this week, I caught the final installment. The cover reads: “The Joy of Food: Bringing Family and Friends together.”

What a great way to wrap up the series. I haven’t read the article yet, but the photos are an essay of the role food plays around the world in connecting us with friends, family, and even strangers.

The magazine is inviting readers to show how food draws you closer by tweeting something to #yourplate. I’m not a big Twitter user, but during the coming week I plan to tweet something regarding my connection with food.  I hope that you have the chance to enjoy the holiday season with family, friends, and good food!