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Sharing Our Bounty Food Drives Need Healthy Donations by Avery Mack
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h a t ’s o n t h e casseroles, on a sandwich Please be table can help and in whole wheat pasta, generous at lower risks brown rice or low-fat stir of stroke, heart attack, the holidays and fries. Avoid the bisphecancer and diabetes, acnol-A (BPA) associated year-round. cording to the American with cans and plastic conHeart Association. Not all tainers. Instead choose families are able to afford the healthiest BPA-free pouch packaging and cans foods, but fatty, high-sugar options can with BPA-free liners (see Tinyurl.com/ be avoided. The most-needed donations BPAFreeCannedFood). are nonperishable and high in protein, Soup and Stew: Containing meat but low in sodium, sugar and fats. and veggies, soups and stews provide Give the best, most affordable filling, hearty comfort foods. products, according to these tips and Vegetables: Yams and whole-berry the food drive’s guidelines. Organic and cranberry sauce turn dinner into a holnon-GMO (genetically modified) foods iday feast. Add color to the plate with are welcome. Note that not all pantries mixed veggies. Lentils, pinto, black and can store fresh produce, glass containers kidney beans in stew, chili or salad proor personal hygiene items. vide fiber, calcium, zinc and iron. Spices “Pantries rely on informed com- add zing. Tomatoes, sauce and salsa add munity support,” explains Jim Byrnes, flavor; choose glass jar products only in director of Pennsylvania’s Nazareth Area order to be BPA-free, due to the acidic Food Bank. “Area churches, schools and effect on cans. businesses keep us supplied. We’ll help Pasta, Rice and Grain: In Kansas 300 families this year, compared to 100 City, Missouri, Katie Thomas, owner of in 2006, balancing nutrition with prac- Crazy Daisy Cleaning, regularly organiztical needs.” es food drives. She says, “Pasta and sauce California’s San Diego Food Bank make a variety of dishes and extend the feeds better choices to 370,000 people number of meals.” Whole grain pasta, each month, including military families, brown or wild rice, quinoa and couscous seniors and children. Such community are better choices than white pasta. Bulefforts change lives. gur provides nearly 75 percent of a day’s Meat: Tinned tuna, chicken and fiber requirement when added to soup salmon store easily for use in salads or or salad. natural awakenings
Search for a generic food item at CalorieCount.com to see how brand-name products rank in nutritional value. Cereal: Steel-cut or rolled oats, farina (Cream of Wheat) and grits are low-calorie and nutritious options for a warm start to the day. All can be found as organic; farina in whole wheat or white wheat that is certified kosher. Cold cereals should list whole grains as the first ingredient and be high in fiber and low in sugar, like organic Oat O’s. Snacks: Unsalted nuts, full of fiber, protein and vitamins, are highly prized at food pantries. Packed in juice, fruit cups make a healthy treat. Dried fruit and sunflower seeds are another favorite. Low-salt, low-sugar peanut or sunflower butter packs protein. Honey is a healthy sweetener. Collecting Party: “A group of us collected and donated 600 pounds of food for babies, pets and adults to Extended Hands Food Bank,” says Dee Power, in Fountain Hills, Arizona. For babies, include food without added sugar or salt and single-grain cereal. Alternative Giving: Especially popular during the December holidays, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank offers prepacked bags to grocery store patrons, paid for at checkout. Customers can see what’s included and the food bank picks them up. (Tip: Cash donations allow lower cost bulk purchases with no need to transport or sort items.) Non-Food: Make sure the food pantry has storage space before donating wet or dry food for cats and dogs and birdseed; baby wipes, shampoo and soap; and adult soap, deodorant, shaving supplies, toothpaste, shampoo and toilet paper. “A $5,000 grant gave us added storage space,” says Byrnes. The bottom line is what food pantries need is much the same as what’s found in any healthy home pantry—comestibles rich in flavor, vitamins and fiber and free of unhealthy additives. Please be generous year-round, sharing well beyond the holidays. Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@mindspring.com. November 2015
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