Are you feeling the financial pinch of our shifting economy? Has your employment or income status changed? Do you worry about rising grocery prices and wonder how you'll continue to feed your family on a limited budget?
Food insecurity is the term used to describe limited or uncertain access to adequate nutrition from food.
The following groups are more likely to experience food insecurity:
Unemployed
Low-income
Disabled
Elderly
Food Pantry Programs Address a Multitude of Health and Social Issues Around Food Insecurity
Certain populations such as those in crowded urban or remote rural settings, for whom proximity to grocery stores and access to transportation limit their access to quality food sources, and who are also on a limited income or lack employment, may be impacted by food insecurity.
These groups, as a result of their food insecurity, may experience an increase in hunger; or, the food that they have access to may not meet basic nutritional quality standards which can negatively impact both physical and mental health.
Another undesirable effect of food insecurity is that individuals in food-insecure households and communities may resort to theft, scavenging, dumpster diving, or hoarding foods that are long past their safe consumption date.
Drivers of poor Mental Health
All of this compromises health and safety and may increase risk of food-borne illness.
A food pantry helps to supplement the diet of low-income Americans, including the elderly, by providing emergency food assistance at no cost.
The food supplied by food pantries is 100% American-grown, as well as meets the USDA's nutritional requirements.
From where do food pantries source their food?
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) procures high quality, nutritious food from participating vendors throughout the United States.
The food is packed and transported to food banks who then distribute the food packages to local food pantries.
USDA quality standards must also be met, including quantity and variety of foods distributed; proximity of the food vendor to the food bank destination; quality and nutritional value of the food; and criteria and guidelines by which the food is safely procured, packaged, transported, and stored.
Who is eligible for emergency food assistance from a food pantry?
Eligibility for food assistance in the US is based on income. Each US state sets its own income standards and decides which federal, state or local food, health and welfare programs that an individual participates in will also grant them eligibility for the TEFAP emergency food assistance program.
Do I qualify for food assistance from a food pantry?
A food pantry may be a local resource that you qualify for, depending on a few factors. These include income, family size, and an emergency need for this type of relief based on current level of food insecurity.
What federal program manages food pantries throughout the United States?
Food pantries operate under federal criteria established through a US funded program known as TEFAP. The letters TEFAP stand for The Emergency Food Assistance Program.
This program is managed through the US Department of Agriculture and operates at the state level.
How does emergency food assistance work?
The USDA purchases nutritious, high-quality foods that meet basic nutrition guidelines, and distributes this food to participating non-profit agencies at the state level.
Each state receives a specific amount of food that is based on the number of unemployed persons, and number of residents for whom income meets or exceeds a certain percentage of the national poverty level.
At the state level, food banks distribute the food to participating food pantries and soup kitchens. Administrative funds are also supplied by the USDA to individual states via TEFAP, to cover the expense of storing and distributing these foods to the public.
(NOTE: Soup kitchens are not the same as food pantries. Soup kitchens are provided with food which is then prepared on the premises and served to those in need. Individuals who eat at soup kitchens are assumed to be low income and therefore not expected to provide proof of income as in the case of food assistance recipients.)
A food pantry distributes food to eligible recipients who then make use of the food for their household consumption.
You may have come across the term “food insecurity” in your quest for more information about food pantry support in your area of the US.
“Food insecurity is defined by Health.gov as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. 1 In 2020, 13.8 million households were food insecure at some time during the year.2 Food insecurity does not necessarily cause hunger,i but hunger is a possible outcome of food insecurity.3 ”
Food insecurity is influenced by:
Income
Employment
Race/Ethnicity
Disability
Neighborhood conditions
Physical access to food
Lack of transportation
All of these things contribute to food insecurity among certain populations.
Food insecurity increases risk for obesity, chronic disease in adulthood, and developmental and mental health problems in children.
Food security is the goal of the USDA, and it is the opposite of food insecurity.
The USDA website describes food security as follows:
“A household is food secure if all members, at all times, can access enough food for an active, healthy life. At a minimum, food security includes:
Readily available nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and
The ability to acquire those foods in socially acceptable ways (without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies).”
The USDA is also expanding awareness and community outreach of what is coming to be known as nutrition security:
“Nutrition security means consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being, prevent disease, and, if needed, treat disease, particularly among racial/ethnic minority, lower income, and rural and remote populations including Tribal communities and Insular areas.”
Their stated objectives for nutrition security in the US:
“Recognizing that Americans, in general, fall short of an active, healthy lifestyle aligned with federal dietary and physical activity guidelines, and
Emphasizing equity to ensure our efforts serve all populations to promote access, availability, and affordability to foods and beverages, and address the connection between food insecurity and diet-related chronic diseases.”
What is the importance of potassium? Potassium levels are closely connected with heart health.
According to WebMD:
“Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body.
It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.”
So, the importance of potassium cannot be overestimated.
Why do American diets tend to be low in potassium? Diets are low in potassium because fruits and vegetables are the best consistent sources of potassium, and people aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables. For example, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that only 1 out of 10 people are getting enough vegetables in their diet.
So, how do you make sure you and your family are getting enough potassium in your diet? Eat more fruits and vegetables, and other rich sources of potassium, such as nuts, beans, dairy products, and whole grains. Find vegetables and fruits you enjoy, and eat lots of them! For example, I love avocado and broccoli. And my son likes avocado and broccoli as well. Thus, we eat broccoli almost every day, and avocado whenever it's in season.
It is true that the greater the variety of vegetables and fruits you eat, the more healthy your diet will be. However, eating two super healthy vegetables every day is better than NO vegetables! Especially since eating vegetables and fruits every day is the best way to make sure you are getting enough potassium in your diet.
Food Sources of Potassium
The best way to get enough potassium is to eat fruits and vegetables. However, most foods contain at least some potassium:
potatoes, including sweet potatoes (see below for recipe for home made French fries)
dried fruit (raisins, apricots, prunes, and dates)
nuts
dairy products
whole grains
meat and fish
The above foods are all sources of potassium. However, calorie for calorie, vegetables and fruits are, by far, the best sources of potassium. For example, 1 banana has about 422 mg of potassium which is over 10% of the US Recommended amount of 3500 mg, (banana has 100 calories) while 1 cup diced cantaloupe has 417 mg (about 60 calories).
in the bananas and cantaloupe to ground beef, which is a good source of potassium, but is much higher in calories and fat. Of course, lean ground beef can be an important part of a balanced diet. However, ground beef doesn't have the other nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables (fiber, vitamin c, vitamin a, etc). This is another example of how important variety is in our diet.
Tomatoes and avocados are also rich in potassium in addition to being excellent sources of lots of other vitamins and minerals. For example, a 1/2 cup of canned tomatoes provides about 250 mg potassium, and an avocado has a whopping 945 mg.
Cow's milk is an excellent source of potassium as well. For example, 1 cup serving of nonfat milk contains 382 mg potassium. However, cheese is not such a good source of potassium (1 ounce cheddar only has 20 mg potassium).
This drives home the importance of adding vegetables and fruits to your and your kids' menu, especially if they eat a lot of macaroni and cheese.
Besides being rich in potassium, there are many reasons why vegetables and fruits are important. For more information and ideas on how to encourage your family to eat more fruits and vegetables, click here.
Excessive potassium in the blood can be caused by dehydration, or excessive diuretic use. Dehydration causes loss of water in blood which increases the concentration of potassium in the blood.
Diuretics, especially what are known as potassium-sparing diuretics, are often used for high blood pressure or excessive fluid retention. For example, in conditions such as congestive heart failure or pre-eclampsia of pregnancy. However, these types of diuretics are safe, when used as directed by a doctor. When diuretics can become dangerous, however, is when someone takes large amounts of diuretics to lose weight. This is more common in eating disordered individuals.
So the point is, excessive potassium is not generally a concern in healthy individuals who are following their doctor's orders.
Here are some fun activities you can use to teach your children about the importance of fruits and vegetables for good health.
Not low fat, but still delicious and made from fresh potatoes which are high in Vitamin C and potassium. If you keep the skin on, you also increase the fiber and iron.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: frugal, kid friendly recipes
Servings: 4Servings
Calories: 292kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
1CupAvocado oilAmount will depend on size of pan, amount of potatoes made
4LargePotatoesOne potato per person; Russett are best; wash and scrub thoroughly
1tspGarlic SaltLawry's is the one we use because it doesn't have any artificial ingredients
Instructions
Add oil to large non-stick pan
Heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
While oil is heating, cut potatoes into wedges. Cut potato in 1/2, and then in 1/2 again, and then 1/2 until wedges are about 3/8' square size.
When oil is ready, add potatoes carefully to pan using a pair of tongs
Cook potatoes until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Drain on a paper towel covered plate for at least five minutes. Pat french fries with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Traditionally I have not been a big fish eater. This is partly because my mom didn't serve it much when I was growing up. Thus, I never really learned how to cook it. Not only that but I didn't even taste much fish until I became more nutrition conscious in college. Since then, I've discovered that fish is super easy to prepare. Not only can fish be prepared quickly, which removes one hurdle to the “fast” food culture. But you don't even have to thaw it out before cooking it (though it is perfectly okay to do so).
As the result of how beneficial fish can be to your overall health, I decided to provide a brief summary of 5 reasons why you should eat more fish. (Post contains affiliate links).
Eating more fish will increase your immune system.
Fish is high in the minerals zinc, calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. All of these nutrients are absolutely essential for a strong immune system.
A strong immune system is important for reducing risk of contagious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria. For example, flu, the common cold, strep throat and tonsillitis. A strong immune system also reduces the effects of damage caused by environmental toxins. This in turn reduces risk of non-contagious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and degenerative diseases such as MS.
Fatty Fish is High in Omega-3 fats
Omega-3 fats are healthy in many ways. For example, omega-3s reduce inflammation which combats pro-inflammatory compounds, such as those found in the environment. By consuming adequate amounts of omega-3 fats in your diet through a higher consumption of fish, you will reduce your risk of:
When you eat more fish, you are more likely to eat less red meat. And ounce for ounce, fish is lower in calories than red meat.
For example, 3.5 ounces of salmon (one of the highest calorie fishes) has about 180 calories (references vary and it depends on which type of salmon as there are at least 5 varieties). This is about 50 calories per ounce. Compare this to 4 ounces of 15% lean ground beef, which contains 243 calories, which is 60 calories per ounce.
So, comparing equal amount of salmon to ground beef, you have 4 ounces of salmon 200 calories versus 4 ounces ground beef 243. This may not sound like much, but it adds up over time!
And this is just salmon. Cod, which is very low in fat, contains only 82 calories for a 3.5 ounce serving. Yellowfin Tuna 109, and Halibut 116 calories. So, fish is an excellent way to maintain a high quality protein intake and reduce calories as well.
Protein is essential for a strong immune system. It is also important for healthy muscle, proper functioning of enzymes and hormones, and for maintaining healthy skin. Protein is necessary for DNA/RNA synthesis as well as healthy bones. I could go on. However, I have written previously about the importance of protein. Click here to read more about why protein is so important for good health.
Regardless of how much fat is in a particular fish, all fish is low in saturated fat. In regard to the amount of saturated fat in fish versus red meat, let's compare salmon.
3 ounces Atlantic Salmon provides 11 grams of total fat, only 2 grams of which is saturated fat. In contrast, 3 ounces 15% lean ground beef provides 12.5 grams of total fat, 5 grams of which are saturated.
And then there are lower fat fishes. For example, cod only has .5 grams of total fat and NO saturated fat. (Note that cod is not as high in vitamin D but still provides 10% of the US RDA in one 3 ounce serving.) The reason why vitamin D is higher in salmon is because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is found in higher amounts in fatty tissue.
Fish is an excellent source of vitamin D and Selenium.
Believe it or not, 1-3 ounce serving of salmon will provide 100% of the US RDA of vitamin D for most people. Most people today are not getting enough vitamin D in their diet. Thus, eating more fish will help you to meet your needs for this important vitamin.
Selenium is an important mineral that acts as an antioxidant in your body. Antioxidants fight against free radicals, which are responsible for cancer and contribute to heart disease. Selenium is also important for thyroid health. One 3 ounce serving of salmon will provide nearly 50% of the US RDA for Selenium. Thus eating more fish will help you meet your nutritional needs for selenium.
Do you have concerns about eating fish?
It is true that you must be conscious of which fish you are eating, what the source of fish is as well as the amount of fish that is generally safe to eat. For example, contaminants including mercury, PCBs, PBDEs, dioxins, and chlorinated pesticides can all end up in the fish we eat.
Below are tables providing general guidelines to help you determine which fish are the safest to eat.
Scroll to the very bottom for the reference list I used as well as a link for some tasty fish recipes.
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