What gives? Making food drive donations count

This post originally appeared on the Food Day blog. Food Day is Oct. 24! To find out more about Food Day, click here.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: People in our country can’t possibly go hungry when a pot of rice and beans lasts a whole week. 

Unfortunately, that’s not a joke – it’s a common misperception: the availability of cheap food could mean an end to food security.

The fact is, we need more than just calories to survive and thrive – we need nutrition.

You live in the Bay Area -- we know that you care about your food.  And we're sure you’ll agree that healthy food should not be a luxury. So on behalf of all Food Banks everywhere: help us out!

For children and adults relying on your local food bank, an important portion of food they receive—a variety of interesting and healthy shelf-stable items—comes from you.

Donating to a food drive should be more than a chance to clean out your pantry. It’s an opportunity to consider what you would like to receive if you ever needed a food pantry.

Food drives are an integral part of Food Banks’ holiday seasons, so here are a few sharable tips to think about when you see food drive barrels. 

Put protein first: Shelf-stable, protein-rich foods are the single-best thing you can give. Peanut butter, canned fish and canned chicken are easy to transport and simple to prepare. But protein-rich foods are expensive – so they’re at the top of our clients’ wish lists, and the wish lists of food banks, pantries and soup kitchens. 

Receiving protein items like peanut butter is a special treat. We met five-year-old Stephan (pictured) during a recent pantry visit. He loves peanut butter because it’s tasty – but his dad loves it because the protein in it gives his son energy and helps them feel full and satisfied.

Think healthy: When people think about hunger, they don’t often picture their grandparent. But one-fifth of the food bank’s clients are seniors. Many of them must make the difficult decision between purchasing food and purchasing medicine. And for many, food is medicine.

Healthy foods are often hard to find in low-income neighborhoods, many of which don’t have grocery stores. Whole grains, oats and canned vegetables are versatile choices that may be out of reach to many clients without your food drive donations.

Pair up: With canned chicken, peas and pasta, Van – a retired police officer – can make a meal to satisfy his four active grandchildren. When he takes home a pantry bag, he can’t wait to craft a nourishing, tasty dinner.

When you’re browsing the grocery aisles, shop as if you’re getting everything you need for dinner that night (except the perishable items) and leave them in a barrel. Your thoughtfulness won’t go unnoticed.

Right now, 1 in 6 Americans is at risk of food insecurity, which means many families aren’t sure where their next meal will come from. The stories of Stephan and Van struggling to eat well are more common than many realize – whether we’re aware of it or not, most of us know someone struggling with hunger.  So, next time you see a food drive barrel, take a moment and think protein, nutrition and a healthy meal – and simply, what you’d want to eat. 

What will you place in your food-drive barrel?