Eating well helps improve lives and build stronger, healthier communities. So we’ve put nutrition at the core of our work.
Nutrition & Wellness
Good nutrition means everything
The science of nutrition is clear: good eating habits can have dramatically positive effects on health and wellbeing. But for many of the people we serve, the same barriers that make it hard to obtain enough food for themselves and their families also make it difficult to secure food that contributes to wellness. That’s a truth we’ve taken to heart, and the reason we’ve made health a priority.
We were one of the first food banks in the nation to put nutrition at the center of its operations. We adopted a food-acceptance policy limiting high sugar donations from retailers, and we were one of the first to track the nutritional content of our inventory.
Now, nearly half of the food we provide is fruits and vegetables, and the overwhelming majority of what we distribute meets our wellness criteria: foods that are high in fiber, and low in salt and sugar. We’re also working with health-care institutions to address health disparities and food insecurity, because our goal isn’t simply to provide food to our neighbors — it’s to help them thrive.
Nutrition resources for living healthier lives
"Nutrition-focused initiatives take a more rigorous approach to combating food insecurity. We are no longer asking, 'How do we get people fed?' but instead, 'How do we provide the kind of food that disrupts cycles of poverty?'"
Help us continue to provide nutritious foods
Want to help get fresh produce and other healthy food items onto the plates of people who need them? You can! With a donation, you’ll help provide nutritious foods to people all across the greater Washington region. Every dollar you contribute helps provide 2 good, healthy meals.
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