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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It is that time of year. Charity is in the air and in the spirit of giving most of us willingly contribute to annual holiday food drives. These contributions are needed to keep many nonprofit groups afloat. Today with the pandemic still an issue and increasing food costs, more people are finding it hard to manage and they need to rely on food banks and food pantries.
When you imagine people standing in line to receive groceries you may picture homeless people or people ravaged by drugs and alcohol who could use a good bath along with the food. Nothing could be further from the truth. One in seven average Americans people regularly rely on food pantries or meal service programs to ensure they have enough to eat.
Many of these people work every day. Almost 11% of people in the US are food insecure, over 35 million. These households depend on food assistance even though at least one person in the household may have a job. They could be your school bus driver, the school crossing guard, or the janitor that cleans your office. They are hardworking people who have either faced some recent crisis or who simply can no longer make their paycheck stretch far enough to feed their families. Thirty-three percent of those who need food assistance have diabetes, 65% have a child or elderly person living at home, and one in five military families need help (Lawmakers decry ‘alarming’ hunger in US military families – Roll Call). When you donate to a local food drive, you may be helping a neighbor.
We all give with good intentions, but often the foods donated are not the best options. Don’t use the annual food drive to clean out your pantry of things you’ll never use. People sometimes donate canned goods that are dented, have expired, or items in glass jars that may break.
What would you feed your family? Consider your food donation as a gift of a meal to another family. Think in combos: pancake mix that just needs water + light pancake syrup; a box of whole wheat pasta + canned pasta sauce; whole wheat noodles + canned tuna + canned peas + low fat cream soup for a casserole; loaf of whole grain bread, peanut or other nut butter and all-fruit spread; a box of low sugar, high fiber cereal with shelf-stable milk.
Fluid milk is one of the most requested items by food banks, but least donated. Feeding America food banks serve over 37 million people each year but their clients receive less than one gallon of fresh milk in a year. There are many barriers to donating refrigerated milk. But the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has teamed up with dairy farmers to provide donated milk to food banks nationwide (Milk Donation Reimbursement Program | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov).
When you donate, here are some healthy foods to consider.
Fruits and Vegetables: Donate fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors to ensure variety in taste and nutrients: canned diced tomatoes or tomato puree; spaghetti sauce; low sodium canned vegetables; canned fruit packed in fruit juice or light syrup; shelf-stable fruit cups or applesauce; 100% fruit or vegetable juice; raisins or other dried fruit; and freeze-dried fruit snacks.
Bread, Grains, Crackers and Cereal: Donate whole grain foods whenever possible:
whole wheat bread, English muffins, tortillas, wraps and rolls; whole wheat or vegetable pasta: gluten free pasta; brown, white or basmati rice; barley; low-sugar/high-fiber, ready-to-eat cereal (check to see if the serving of cereal has 6 or less grams of sugar and at least 2 grams of fiber); oatmeal both regular and instant; any hot cereal; quinoa;
cereal bars; whole grain crackers; graham crackers; and whole wheat flour.
Protein choices: Most food banks need shelf-stable choices rather than fresh meat, fish and poultry. Donate: canned tuna, salmon, mackerel or crab; canned chicken or turkey; canned beans; dried beans and lentils; any type of nuts, unsalted or lightly salted when possible; soynuts; peanut butter or other nut butters; canned bean or lentil soup, look for lower sodium if possible; and canned baked beans, look for lower sodium if possible.
Milk: Donate shelf-stable (boxed or canned) milk drinks fortified with vitamin D: nonfat instant dry milk; evaporated milk; boxed milk drinks (look for lowfat and unflavored choices, but lowfat chocolate milk could add a smile to a child’s face at dinner, too); soy, almond or rice milk (check that they are calcium-fortified).
Miscellaneous items: Donate: case of bottled water; herbs and spices (packed in plastic bottles); seasoned pepper; baking powder and baking soda; oil; coffee, tea, and no calorie sweeteners; a can opener; and paper towels, sponges, dish detergent.
When in doubt call your local food pantry to ask them which foods they need. A donation of money is always welcome. In fact, money can stretch farther than food donations because the food bank can use it to buy perishable items such as milk, yogurt, and fresh meat, poultry, fruits and vegetables.
Be generous, it is the holidays.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books.
Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.