Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? Started in 1973, National Nutrition Month is a time when people are encouraged to learn about making informed food choices and develop healthful eating and physical activity habits. At EFN, we deeply value making healthful food choices (we even highlighted it in last month’s Food for Thought), but we recognize that the ability to make healthy choices can be complicated for a variety of reasons, especially for lower-income households. Lower-income households often live farther from grocery stores with fresh produce, struggle to afford healthy options, and may have less time to spend on cooking healthy items due to working long hours or multiple jobs.

Some of the nutritious, and budget-friendly, choices we use may be a good fit for your family:

• Choose produce that is in season! The Pacific Northwest produces a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables all year long. Since farmers will have a larger supply of seasonal produce, shopping seasonally will likely save money and get you the best-tasting fruits and vegetables. (Did you know EFN began purchasing fresh produce from local farmers in 2021 thanks to support from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and Harvest Against Hunger?)
• Shop local! Pierce County is home to incredible farmer’s markets and local producers. Fruits and vegetables that have been harvested more recently are more nutrient-dense than items that were picked before they ripened and then transported across the country or world. (This is one reason that we make sure the produce we grow at Mother Earth Farm is at food pantries within 48 hours of harvest). People using SNAP at farmer’s markets can use Fresh Bucks to stretch their dollar even further!
• Don’t be afraid of canned and frozen items! Since frozen produce is flash-frozen at peak ripeness, these items may actually be more nutrient-dense than out-of-season fresh options. (Think frozen berries in winter instead of fresh.) When purchasing canned foods, look for items marked as low-sodium or packed in water instead of syrup. If you can’t find these lower-salt and-sugar items, rinsing the product after you open the can is a great way to remove some of the salt and sugar if that is a concern in your diet. (When purchasing through our Co-op Food Purchasing Program, we never buy fruit packed in syrup and always seek low-sodium vegetables).

All of us should have access to the healthy foods we all need to thrive, whether we get that food from our garden, grocery store, or food pantry. Together, we’re making that vision possible.

Michelle Douglas, CEO