Thought for Food Donation
When donating food, it’s important to remember those with health problems.
Growing up in the Mormon church, I remember people bringing in food on the first Sunday every month. Fast Sunday was a time for us to give back to those who were less fortunate. Typically, it was things like canned green beans and corn. It was awesome to see all of these people who were trying to help total strangers. I never really thought about how unhelpful those items could be until my family had to rely on food pantries for some of our groceries.
My mom was diagnosed with diabetes when I was about ten years old. Her family doctor for the next fifteen years actually attempted to keep her blood sugar too low for a diabetic, which led to kidney failure. One of the “joys” of kidney failure is that it requires a total overhaul of a person’s diet. Sodium, potassium, and phosphates may be limited briefly or long-term for patients. (It’s not just kidney failure and diabetes that can impact a diet. Allergies and heart disease can as well.)
Our boxes from the food pantries would contain, you guessed it, corn and green beans, as well as things like Frosted Flakes, fruits in heavy syrup, and canned pasta sauce. It might be okay to eat those things if you’re in good health, but a lot of people who are in need of food assistance aren’t. And having a box full of food you can’t eat doesn’t help someone who is hungry.
Now that I see people wanting to help the people of Louisiana after the horrific flooding that has taken place, I want to tell them that they need to remember those people on special diets. Feeding America has a list of ideas for health food donation or you can take a look at recommendations by the American Kidney Fund and the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s also important to look for foods that don’t contain common allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy. Check the labels. And look for foods that are low or reduced sodium, low sugar, or sugar-free. Think about the kinds of foods that you would want to eat if it was you receiving the food.
This isn’t meant to make anyone who donates feel bad about their contributions. Giving to charity is an amazing thing and everyone who can donate should do so, but sometimes we have to remember that people who are less fortunate can have the same problems as people who aren’t in need. Remembering that can help make sure that people who need food can get the food that they need to survive and make sure that the food isn’t simply wasted.
