Tis The Season For A Waste-Free Pantry Make-over

If you want to "get healthy" in 2011 but are worried about wasting food try donating it!

Even though you may want to start eating better in 2011, now is the best time to clean out your pantry. As an added bonus, cleaning out your pantry now will help mentally prepare you for a lifestyle change come 2011.

What should stay and what should go?

STAY:

Canned foods: Generally should be "no added salt" or "low sodium"

• Canned veggies- Are less nutritious than fresh or frozen (which are about equally as nutritious), if you can not afford fresh or frozen then make sure your veggies are "No added salt or Low sodium"
• Canned Soup- Low fat/ fat free cream soups, No added salt/ low sodium broth and vegetable based soups
• Canned fruit- in its own juice or light syrup
• Canned meat- packed in water, low sodium or no salt added, fat free/ reduced fat

Boxed foods: Generally should be low in sodium when possible, this one is tricky and hard for me to think of so you may be better off asking me about specific products

• Plain oat meal, low sugar oatmeal, granola bars that are high fiber ( 5g or more)/low calorie (less than 150 calories)

Grains: Generally any grain with at least 2g of fiber per serving is a keeper

• Whole wheat pasta, or pasta with 2g of fiber or more per serving
• Brown rice, or Uncle Ben's whole grain white rice, Wild rice

Extras:

• Fat free/ low fat ranch dressing mix packets- you never know when you need to make healthy party dip (just mix with non fat plain yogurt)
• PB2, of course
• Reduced sugar or sugar free jelly

GO

Canned: Throw away anything containing 100mg of sodium or more that originally had no/ little sodium before entering it entered the can (like a fruit or vegetable).

• Canned meat packed in oil (or should I say, packed in empty calories)
• Soups with more than 500-700mg sodium per serving should go!

Boxed and grains: Anything white, with less than 2g fiber per serving, and high in sodium should go.

• Dear Hamburger helper, your not helping anyone get healthy
• Sugary oatmeal, Raisin bran, and sugary low fiber granola bars

Extras:

• Consider giving away regular peanut butter and stocking up on some PB2 powdered peanut butter
• Jelly, unless reduced sugar or sugar free

 

Where To Donate

If you would like to make a food donation, please drop it off at The Food Bank:

The Food Bank
2101 Vandiver Drive, Suite B
Columbia, MO 65202

There are also several receptacles in Columbia where you can drop off your food donations.
Please call the food bank to find a location near you:

Phone: (573) 474-1020
Toll Free: (800) 764-3663

The food bank website: http://www.sharefoodbringhope.org/index.php

They accept the following foods:

If you would like to donate food, here’s a list of a few most-needed food items:
- Canned vegetables
- Canned fruit
- Canned meats such as tuna, chicken or beef
- Canned soup
- Boxed meals such as Hamburger Helper
- Pasta or rice
- Hot and cold cereal
- Peanut butter and jelly

Most-needed household/personal care items:
- Toilet Paper
- Paper towels
- Deodorant
- Soap
- Toothpaste

Things to remember:
- Please do not give homemade goods such as baked goods or home-canned items
- All items must have labels and must be sealed