How do I know what’s healthy?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide advice for making food choices that promote good health for Americans over 2 years of age. The DGA recognize that food insecurity limits a household’s ability to acquire adequate food to meet their nutritional needs, and therefore seeks to maximize the nutritional content of meals.
Most Americans consume too much sodium and too many calories from solid fats, added sugars, and refined grains. Examples of items high in these food components include highly processed items such as soups, cookies and cakes, and soda and fruit drinks. A healthy eating pattern limits intake of foods and beverages high in these food components, and focuses on consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, lean meats, poultry, and fish, eggs, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds.
How do I help my pantry provide healthier food choices to guests?
A food pantry filled with a variety of nutritious foods supports making the healthy choice the easy choice for food pantry clients. Pantries can create a healthy food environment by:
