It’s hard enough to make healthy food choices at the supermarket, but even harder at the food bank where options are limited to donated items. Healthy and fresh foods don’t last as long, and are less likely to find their way onto food bank shelves. Feeding America reports that a third of food bank client households have a member with diabetes, and over half have a member with high blood pressure. Without consistent and informed access to healthy foods, those clients will have a much harder time managing their health risks.
To address this challenge here in the BHT region, Spokane Regional Health District and Second Harvest Food Bank have partnered to innovate their food policies. With support from Prevention First, our Department of Health 1422 Prevention grant, Second Harvest of Spokane now provides clients with a 100% choice “shopping” experience. Food placement within the food bank emphasizes fresh produce and healthy foods over less healthy processed options, and SRHD has helped Second Harvest prioritize what food they purchase and take in order to make the healthiest impact on clients. As clients “shop”, a food bank volunteer offers coaching on healthy choices, home cooking recommendations, and how to select the right amount of fresh food to consume before it spoils.
By putting the client’s health at the center of the shopping experience, Second Harvest is empowering people to make choices that will have a lasting impact on their health. Second Harvest has over 250 food banks and meal sites in Eastern Washington. This is a great example of how our community is collaborating to radically improve the health of our region.
Re-posted from http://www.betterhealthtogether.org/bold-solutions-content/spotlight-second-harvest Retrieved 05.11.2016
