During the 2014 30 Hour Famine, participants who underwent the famine were allowed to drink water, and at 7:00 PM on the first day, eat a simple bowl of rice. This was done to raise awareness for world hunger.
It is important symbolically, as impoverished people of the world often do not get to see even one bowl of rice a day. It really drives home how it feels to be hungry and gets you to appreciate food that much more.
The general consensus was that it was the best meal of our lives.