By Sophia Priolo. Sophia is currently in the Nutrition and Dietetics MS, RDN program at Thomas Jefferson University. She recently graduated from Penn State with a Bachelors in Science from their Nutritional Sciences program. Growing up dancing 7 days a week and balancing schoolwork, friends and family, she slowly started to develop a passion for nutrition and fueling her body. She also saw how harsh things could be mentally and physically being a young performer in such an intense environment. Her passion for dance allowed her love for it to grow tremendously, inspiring her to pursue nutrition and dietetics.
What is food insecurity? The insecurity is typically known as the condition of not having access to sufficient food or adequate food quality to meet someone’s basic needs. Food insecurity can be scary as many people may not know where their next meal is coming from.
As I browsed research on food insecurity I looked into the performers and people of New York as my basic audience. The True Cost of Living report released by The Fund for New York City and United Way, states that nearly 3 million people in New York do not make enough money to pay for basic living expenses like rent, utilities, and food. Often, food is the first thing to be compromised when money is tight. This is because many people may put their money towards more “essential” things – paying rent before they get evicted, turning the heat on during the winter, or when a parent gives the little food they do have to their child instead of feeding themselves.
The first program I came across that raises awareness for food insecurity and helps those struggling is “City Harvest- Rescuing Food for NYC.” This program strives to educate the importance of balanced meals and why everyone should have equal opportunity to have food on their plate. City Harvest is a nonprofit organization that provides teaching skills for finding, preparing and creating healthy and affordable meals. This program has 5 locations across New York including The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Washington Heights/ Inwood. City Harvest looks to farms, restaurants, grocers, wholesalers, and manufacturers for donations so they can provide adequate nutrition to the city of New York. Some ways to access food through City Harvest is through their food rescue center located in Sunset Park Brooklyn, one of the 23 food rescue trucks or tractor trailers running 7 days a week or through one 400 food pantries, soup kitchens or other community food programs across New York City. City Harvest has so many partners and distributors who try their very best to feed the people of New York free of charge.
Things To Know:
A food bank is known as a nonprofit that safely stores foods that will soon be delivered to local food programs like food pantries. Food banks can be big or small, and store food donated from local neighbors, retailers, grocery stores and restaurants. Feeding America is the official website to locate the closest food bank in your area.
A food pantry is a distribution center where families and individuals can go for food within their local community. A good way to remember the difference between the two is that the food bank acts as a primary outlet to store and distribute food to a smaller outlet – a food pantry – meeting the needs of those who do not always have access to food. If you would like to locate the closest food pantry in your area visit foodpantries.org.
What resources are there besides food banks?
SNAP
SNAP is the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This program targets those from low-income households, providing them with some financial support to help them buy groceries. You do have to apply to receive SNAP benefits, and must meet specific eligibility criteria surrounding income requirements. That said, it helps so many families big and small throughout the U.S., so it never hurts to apply! Once you are approved for SNAP benefits you will receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer, EBT, access card to make food purchases.
WIC
WIC is the USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The WIC program aims to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 at risk for malnutrition. Although WIC mainly focuses on providing supplemental food and formula distribution, they also offer nutrition education, breastfeeding support, health care referrals, and health and nutrition screenings. This is a great way for women in the arts who are busy or may not make enough money to help provide for themselves and their families.
Need help dealing with high food prices in New York?
Trader Joes might have just become your best friend! As many may know, New York can be an expensive place to live, where the rent is high, people are unique, and food is pricey all over. Not only is New York home to some of the most beautiful and famous restaurants in the world, but it is also home to some very expensive grocers! However, Trader Joe’s famously has the same prices in every state – so you are getting the same food prices as you would at a Trader Joe’s in the mid-west! There are approximately 34 Trader Joe’s locations in New York (as of 2024) coming across as one of the most affordable supermarkets.
What should you be prioritizing in the food store on a low budget?
Ever hear of an ingredients household? The ingredients is the backbone of what makes a meal so great a delicious. Prioritizing ingredients at the grocery store can lead you to so many different meals throughout the week and will save you money in the long run, as ingredients tend to be cheaper than a whole meal. Some ingredients that can set a foundation for a meal include; dry beans, dry nuts, oats, pasta, rice, canned goods, potatoes, eggs, spices, and more. All these things have a pretty long shelf life and you can make so many different meals. Different types of meats can also stay good for an extended period of time especially if you freeze it. Another thing to remember is you can always buy some frozen produce to add to your meals for fiber and more flavor. You don’t always have to buy what is fresh and prepared already because it will be more expensive and have a shorter shelf life. If you want to plan some meals down to the exact penny check out these apps for some guidance and help: Mealboard app and Budget Bytes Food Blog and MyPlate.
What is MyPlate?
- MyPlate is the official website for the USDA official guidelines to healthy eating. It is a spin off of the food pyramid that provides an educational based learning to those trying to fix their daily meals to meet an individuals daily needs. MyPlate consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy and fortified soy alternatives. MyPlate offers a list of nutrient-dense foods under each category to add to your plate while also giving serving sizes. MyPlate is a great resource for families and individuals struggling with shopping or budgeting because it can provide you with so many meals and ideas just from giving the website a quick look.
How to stretch your dollar for your food priorities?
Often people will compromise their eating habits or food in general to pay for other necessary expenses. Here are some strategies to help you stretch your dollar to meet one’s dietary needs on a low budget:
- Try not to stop at convenience stores, fast food restaurants or eat out too often. Although it may seem convenient at the moment, in the long run it will add up to your overall weekly costs and may not be the most energy dense food choice to keep yourself from crashing throughout the day. Often people will stop at a fast food or convenience store for a quick meal to feed their hunger needs and then experience a crash in their energy levels at some point throughout the day.
- Go to the store with a grocery list. It is important to plan your meals and snacks for the week because it can prevent impulse buying and disorganization. If you plan out meals and snacks week by week, you will start creating a sense of awareness of the quantity and quality of each item being purchased in the store.
- This also gives you time to do some research on different products in a store. A lot of times store brand foods can be cheaper than name brand foods.
- Try to prevent food wasting. When you are putting groceries in the fridge try to put food with a shorter shelf life towards the front, so you don’t forget about them. This also is especially important for those whole meal prep: you meal prep: store your meals in a visible place so you don’t forget about your pre-prepped meal allowing it to go to waste.
Food insecurity is not just a matter of hunger, but a complex issue that affects the health, well-being, and future opportunities of millions of people worldwide. By utilizing the resources about it is the first step in tackling food insecurity for those who have families big or small. Solving this problem is important not only to stop hunger but also to help people escape poverty, improve education, and build stronger communities.