Nutrition for Brain Health
What you eat plays a critical role in how your brain functions. Proper nutrients may improve mood and memory and even slow brain aging. Maintaining good brain health may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Idaho Foodbank’s Hunger to Health Strategy (H2H) is focused on the well-being of individuals, along with the health of communities across our state through access to nutritious food and other resources required for good health.
By eating a well-balanced diet, we are able to maintain the energy we need to get through the day and absorb the nutrients our bodies require to help us stay strong and healthy.
Three initiatives makeup our H2H Strategy: Nutrition, Education and Healthy Communities. Through nutrition education and the distribution of predominantly nutrient-rich foods (85%), our goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice while also taking into account the health of our communities.
Nutrition = Wellness
People facing hunger are making difficult choices on how to make ends meet – paying for rent, getting the medicine they need, putting gas in the car – and have the food they need. We believe in not just providing food but nutritious food that helps people back on their feet and to the place where they can thrive.
Good Food for Good Health
For several years, The Idaho Foodbank has been focused on obtaining more fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution. Greater support from Idaho’s agricultural community and an increase in the number of grocery stores participating in our Food Rescue program have pushed the percentage of donated food considered nutritious to 80%.
Now, we are working in collaboration with healthcare partners to make it easier for Idahoans who are food insecure and have health issues to get the food they need to promote better health.
Fresh fruits and vegetables can be some of the most expensive items in your grocery cart. This collaborative allows the hunger challenged to have access to this very important food group while stretching their food budget dollar.
Lynn Dill, Food Sourcing Manager, The Idaho Foodbank
Illuminating Intersections: Hunger and Health
Individuals who are food insecure are at higher risk of developing a chronic disease. Many of Idaho’s most common chronic diseases are diet-related including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The right diet can reduce a person’s risk of getting these diseases. Or, if a person has already been diagnosed, help manage it effectively.
Stable access to nutritious food can help the people we serve before the medical bills start stacking up.
Karen Vauk, President and CEO, The Idaho Foodbank
Healthy Food Tips and Recipes
Joyful Moving in April
Exercise has many health benefits and may manage symptoms of stress and anxiety. Get moving this April by adding in small steps, building up to a goal of 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Healthy Eating
Each March, we celebrate the importance of choosing healthy foods to nourish our bodies. How we choose to feed our bodies has a big impact on how we feel, not only today, but over the long term as well. Most of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are influenced by what we eat, but every meal is a new opportunity to make a good choice!
March is National Nutrition Month ®
Nutrition equals wellness. By eating a well-balanced diet, we are able to maintain the energy we need to get through the day and absorb the nutrients our bodies require to help us stay strong and healthy.Nutrition equals wellness. By eating a well-balanced diet, we are able to maintain the energy we need to get through the day and absorb the nutrients our bodies require to help us stay strong and healthy.
Healthy and Yummy Whole Grains
Whole grains fuel our bodies, providing us with energy to get us through the day. Regularly consuming whole grains has also been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Be mindful when selecting whole grain foods. Breads, pastas, tortillas and oatmeal are some examples of products that often contain whole grains, but can also contain processed or altered grains.
Make Every Bite Count
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently launched its new MyPlate website to support healthier lifestyles for Americans. The site provides tools, resources and simple recipes to obtain the perfect balance of fruits, veggies, grains, protein and dairy in your daily diet.
Partnering for a Healthier Community
Community Health Screenings
The Idaho Foodbank is now working in collaboration with healthcare partners to make it easier for Idahoans who are food insecure and have health issues to get the food they need to promote better health.
In July of 2016 the Idaho Medical Association, with sponsorship by the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, and support from the Idaho Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics passed a resolution that recognizes hunger as a social determinant of health. The resolution also acknowledges The Idaho Foodbank as an important healthcare partner. Since this resolution was passed, healthcare professionals across Idaho have been encouraged to include hunger-related questions in patient screenings and offer the pantry referrals to those who need food assistance. This is an important step towards a healthier Idaho.
Screen and Refer
Participating healthcare organizations such as community clinics include food insecurity questions in their patient screening. If the need for food is indicated, the patient is referred to a local food pantry. Healthcare organizations with the physical space can provide their own food pantry on site.
Additional Information
Download Our Hunger to Health Strategy
Thank You to the Following Organizations
