Food Bank article: Healthy and Shelf-Stable Food Drive Items
In honor of National Nutrition Month, Andrea Kerley, the nutrition intern at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina spotlighted different food groups each week on social media – specifically shelf-stable items, why they are great choices, and the importance of these donations. These shelf-stable choices help the food bank to serve our neighbors, give healthy options to our communities, and fit the needs of everyone wherever they may reside. These lower cost items are a staple in homes and can be used to make delicious, nutritious, and family favorite recipes and make for wonderful donations throughout the year!
Healthy and Shelf-Stable Food Drive Items
By: Andrea Kerley
Proteins
Canned, non-perishable items such as chicken, tuna, and salmon are all great options that are full of protein and other essential nutrients. When reading labels look for canned in water, low sodium, and no added oils for donations. These protein items come in pop top cans, pouches, or regular cans. All are needed and used in delicious recipes like tuna or chicken salad.
Beans
Beans are an amazing, low-cost, and versatile protein source that are a staple in many cultures around the world. They are full of dietary fiber, are accessible to most communities and can be dried or canned. When choosing canned beans look for no salt added or reduced sodium, and dry beans with no added seasonings. Having beans available through donations enables us to distribute culturally meaningful foods to our communities. You can use beans in so many recipes from soups and salad to side dishes.
Fruits
Utilizing shelf-stable fruits is a perfect way to incorporate this food group into your diet all year round. Fruits have many health benefits including being a significant source of vitamin C, vitamin D, and fiber. When looking for a shelf-stable fruit, look for a label that is packed in 100% fruit juice or water. Donating these canned or non-perishable items allows access to fruits to all individuals all year round whether they have available refrigeration or not. Fruits are a great part of any meal or snack!
Spices
Seasoning and spices are a wonderful way to enhance the flavor of your food while decreasing the amount of salt needed. When selecting spices, choose blends that have no salt added. If there are none available, try making your own! Making your own seasonings can help to create family favorite and culturally meaningful dishes. Seasoning measurements can be adjusted for your family’s liking by adding more or less of each spice to make different size batches. If making large quantities, store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Shelf-stable food items not only help overcome barriers in our community while providing nutrient dense food options, but they also allow us to be prepared when emergencies or disasters occur. You can use these ideas to host your own food drive or check out ways to utilize these great shelf-stable choices in recipes prepared by the Food Bank’s Nutrition Education Team.
The Food Bank has also shared the following recipe for Lentil Salad.
Healthy Recipe Videos
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has put together a series of healthy recipe videos that are available to watch on YouTube.com HERE.
About the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is a nonprofit organization that has provided food for people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina for 40 years. The Food Bank serves a network of more than 900 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults through warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, the Sandhills (Southern Pines), and Wilmington.
The Food Bank not only feeds those who are hungry; but also works to benefit community health. That’s why, in 2016, the Food Bank launched a Community Health & Engagement Department. With two nutritionists on staff, the Food Bank shares recipes, healthy tips, and other resources for partner agencies and neighbors in need. The on-site teaching kitchen in Raleigh offers cooking demonstrations and nutrition education to highlight easy, quick, and low-cost recipes using healthful foods like whole grains, fresh produce, low fat dairy, and lean meats.
Monthly Articles from the Food Bank
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina shares regular articles about nutrition and health education so we know what to look for when we head to the grocery store and plan our healthy meals. Following are some of the articles featured recently on the WRAL Smart Shopper page.
