Food insecurity can become a problem for people from all walks of life. Unforeseen life circumstances can take a toll on family finances and result in a lack of financial resources for food and the need for temporary hunger relief. If you’re having a hard time feeding your family consistently, know that you’re not alone. Last year, an estimated 1 in 9 Americans were food insecure—which translates to more than 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children. If you and your family aren’t getting all of the nourishment it needs to thrive, here are four ways you can find hunger relief:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Hunger is a prevalent issue all over the U.S., and in the vast majority of areas in the country there are organizations you can turn to—whether it’s a local food bank, food pantry, or nearby bakery—that donate their leftovers or sell them at a discounted rate at the end of each day. Find out if you live near any of Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks by using their local food bank search. You can also find food pantries near you by accessing FoodPantries.org’s nationwide directory.
Focus on inexpensive, nutritious foods.
Get more bang for your buck when grocery shopping by focusing your attention on foods that are both economical and healthy. Plan on picking up some of the typically least expensive fruits and vegetables that are well liked in your household. It’s also helpful to purchase produce that is versatile in the ways you can use it. For instance, apples are often an affordable fruit, and they can be eaten as is, sliced and paired with peanut butter, thrown into a yogurt, or chopped up and microwaved in your oatmeal—another widely available, affordable whole food—for a healthy breakfast.
Check out our rundown of low-cost healthy foods for ideas for where to focus your food shopping.
Find out what services are available and if you qualify for federal assistance programs.
Food banks can educate those in need on what services are available. At Feeding Westchester, we have a full time SNAP coordinator who visits homes to help people sign up for programs they might qualify for.
Many federal food assistance programs that help feed Americans who are struggling with hunger—some of which you may not yet be aware of—are available. For instance, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides USDA commodities to families in need of short-term hunger relief through emergency food providers such as food banks. You may find it useful to do some online research about these initiatives to find out whether you and your family qualify for hunger relief help.
Follow best practices for grocery shopping on a budget.
It is possible to buy nutritious foods that last you the week while staying within a reasonable budget, but it does take a bit of effort. Follow our five tips for grocery shopping on a small budget:
- Make a shopping list of meals you plan to make and the ingredients you’ll need for each of them—and stick to it.
- Abide by the cook once, eat twice rule. Along with the money it saves you when done right, this technique simplifies meal planning and prep.
- Take advantage of sales and coupons.
- Keep staple affordable, healthy foods in mind. One rule of thumb is to fill up the majority of your cart with whole foods—which are fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes.
- Put healthy canned goods to good use. Canned goods such as corn and beans are cheap, nutritious, and easy to incorporate into dinners.
Read our “Food Education: Grocery Shopping on a Small Budget” post for more information on how you can make the most of your money during your trips to the grocery store.
