BELLOWS FALLS — This is an invitation for you to join me, my fellow volunteers with the Healthy Communities Coalition, and the volunteer leaders of Project Feed the Thousands to ensure that all people in our region not only have food and drink on their tables in the coming year, but also to make sure that that sustenance nourishes their bodies and supports their health.
The types of foods we contribute to Project Feed the Thousands - or directly to our local food charity of our choice - can play a major role in breaking the link between poverty and obesity.
Numerous studies document this link. According to one report, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “There is no question that the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States follow a socioeconomic gradient, such that the burden of disease falls disproportionately on people with limited resources, racial-ethnic minorities, and the poor.”
The same study points to some of the causes for this relationship, including the fact that high-calorie foods composed of refined grains, added sugars, or fats are often the lowest-cost option to the consumer and that poverty and food insecurity are associated with low fruit and vegetable consumption and lower-quality diets.
This is where we come in.
The wonderful folks behind Project Feed the Thousands - today and for nearly two decades - have created an amazing system for collecting and distributing food and drinks donated by many generous folks.
It's up to us to fill their tractor trailers with donations that support health, not disease. Our tagline for the Healthy Communities Coalition is, in part, “to make the healthy choice the easy choice.”
Through Project Feed the Thousands, you can help “make the healthy choice the easy choice” for all those it will serve.
We've checked with the leaders of two of the largest food pantries in the area to find out what staples are most needed. We then developed a shopping list.
For example, pastas are always in high demand. So we ask you to contribute whole-grain pasta. Whole grains are also a healthy choice for breads, cereals, and crackers.
Tuna packed in water is healthier than tuna in oil. Look closely at canned fruits to be sure they are packed in juice, not syrup. For canned vegetables, look for low sodium.
And water is always the healthy beverage of choice, so please don't donate sodas or other sugar-sweetened beverages (sports drinks, juice blends, etc.).
To see our complete guide, please visit www.meetingwatersymca.org. You'll find the list on our home page. While there, you can also find out how to contact me if you have any questions.