High school students need to be prepared for postsecondary education and enter the workforce to solve real-world problems including food and energy sustainability. Real-world problems require students to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills and transfer their learning across disciplines. Framed as a grand challenge to students, the food systems project utilized an integrated STEM approach complemented with a systems thinking approach that challenged students to analyze relationships among system components with a holistic perspective. This quantitative descriptive study described the perceptions, experiences, and career interests of high school students who completed a food systems STEM project. The students self-reported they were interested in the project, applied scientific reasoning to solve the problem, and collaborated with peers to apply STEM concepts. Students also reported the project helped them learn more about STEM careers and reported higher interest in career fields such as science, technology/engineering, the agricultural industry, food industry, and natural resources industry after completing the food system STEM project. Food systems integrated STEM projects can be a tool to engage students to solve complex problems and build interest in STEM careers.