Every year around Thanksgiving, national, 
regional and local media outlets shine a light on the issue of hunger and what is being done to solve it. Radio Health Journal did a story recently about food insecurity on the national and local stages, and brought in experts to talk about it. Our very own Susan Topping, Senior Director of Partners and Programs at the Capital Area Food Bank, was on hand along with Ross Fraser of Feeding America, the national network of food banks. Joining them for the discussion was Leanne Brown, author of Good and Cheap: How to Eat Well on $4 a Day, to offer a culinary perspective on how people with limited food budgets can still eat healthily.
For the majority of the people served by the food bank, the type of food they are forced to choose for themselves and their families is unfortunately more quantity over quality. As Ross Fraser of Feeding America says in the radio story, “What they have to do is worry about filling bellies in their households without worrying about the consequences of the food.” In many cases, this can often lead to obesity, hypertension, heart disease and other health complications that are related to one’s diet.
The Capital Area Food Bank believes that food is inextricably, fundamentally linked to health. That’s why we offer a program called Cooking Matters. Just one of our many education programs offered to our partners and clients, Cooking Matters teaches the basics of health and nutrition in the context of the kitchen. As Susan Topping says, we see among our clients a “57% increase in how many people are buying more vegetables after going through our Cooking Matters course.”
This Thanksgiving, you can help a family have a healthy holiday. Our Turkey at Every Table campaign is still in full swing, and we are just over halfway to our goal of raising $50,000. You can contribute today, by following this link.