April 2017 Question 3
3. According to this study, food pantry users consumed inadequate fruits, vegetables, and dairy. What are some ways to increase the consumption of these food groups among this population?
posted by Unknown @ 7:46 AM
33 comments
33 Comments:
I think this depends on whether food pantry users take fruits, vegetables and diary from the food pantry and then do not eat it, or whether food pantry users are simply hesitant to take fruits, vegetables, and dairy from the food pantry in the first place. If it is the former that’s occurring, perhaps it would be beneficial to explain to food pantry users why it is important to consume fruits, vegetables, and dairy. If they know why they should be eating it, maybe they will be more likely to do so in the future. If it is the latter that’s occurring, this might go back to one of the previous questions – they may not know how to use or incorporate the fruits, vegetables and dairy products into their meals. If this is the case, I think food pantry workers should find and make different resources available to the food pantry users so they may become more comfortable with using these different food items.
I’ve seen some work in food pantries focused on this mission and what I found most successful was having more fresh fruits and vegetables available to choose. At one pantry, they allowed participants to visit one time per month for a full visit, but had a basket of fresh produce that participants could each take one item from each week. It was not a large amount of produce, but it did allow the individual more access. I also think talking to this population about the uses of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables may be beneficial, as they can likely afford canned more readily than fresh and get it from the pantry as well. I’m a little more uncertain of how to incorporate dairy into the diet, as I don’t think pantries always carry these products and they are not necessarily inexpensive in different parts of the country. Maybe looking into products like dry milk may be helpful for increasing “dairy” intake. I think much of this low intake is related to access, but I appreciate the concepts regarding education and understanding how to utilize these products as well.
Have you seen the “little free library” boxes that house books in neighborhoods around town? Wouldn’t it be cool to do something similar, but place fresh fruits and vegetables inside instead? Stuff like bananas, apples, potatoes, onions, shelf-stable produce. They could be strategically placed within food deserts and areas predicted to provide the most benefit. Obviously weather conditions, sources of produce, etc. would be major factors in something like this! Another idea I had was for food pantry volunteers to prep some of the available produce, or create a “prepping station” for the food pantry users. I also believe that it is important to increase their knowledge of the importance/benefits that fresh fruits and vegetables provide. Many individuals have a “sweet tooth,” so I would try to equate fruit and dessert in the food pantry users’ minds if possible. Lastly, bringing in local grocery store ads and highlighting some fruits, vegetables, and dairy that they could purchase for a very reasonable price is something to consider. This is a sensitive matter depending on their situation/budget. They could also walk down the dairy aisle while in a store and look for the discounted yogurt/dairy if they are able to.
While there are always such random foods at food banks, I think it would be fun to have a "Produce Pick of the Week" special, similar to an actual grocery store advertisement. Showcasing a specific fruit or vegetable at each distribution and having volunteers prepare the fruit or vegetable by showing knife skills, demonstrating a simple recipe, and having a recipe card to give out can create more interest in that food product. It is similar to how grocery stores have sample stations to try to get consumers to buy a product, but in this situation, we are trying to get community members to step out of their comfort zone and pick a fruit or vegetable they normally would not pick.
Kaitlyn, I love your idea!! Although there are a lot of factors to consider, I like that idea because of convenience. Placing the boxes in food desserts is a good point. While there are food banks they may have access to at certain times, having this station can provide them with at least some ingredients to last until the next food distribution.
I believe when it comes to increasing consumption of specific food groups education and application is extremely important. Participants need to know why it’s important to consume these food groups and feel like consuming these foods will make a difference. The importance of health and overall costs on healthcare savings should be emphasized. Participants also need to know how to make consuming these food groups possible. I believe interactive classes and food demos would be helpful in increasing consumption of these food groups. I also think that handouts and recipes that teach participants how to utilize the current produce and dairy they receive from the food pantry would be helpful increasing overall intake.
I really appreciate all the ideas everyone has mentioned.
Lauren, I like the idea of having a basket of fruit available once a week for participants to choose from, even if they aren't receiving other items.
Kaitlyn, I think your little free library idea is great! I wonder who would stock them, just local neighbors or a specific food pantry?
Nikki's produce pick of the week is also a great way to get food pantry users more familiar with various fruits and vegetables they might not otherwise know how to cut and use.
Tessa, I really appreciate the education piece you talked about. I also think it's important to explain why fruits and vegetables are important for health, etc.
Kaitlyn,
I really like the idea of a "free fruit/vegetable library" in food desert areas. I think the logistics may be challenging to keep fresh produce there year round, but couldn't it also hold canned fruits, vegetables, or beans etc. during poor weather times? I know they're not always ideal, but the nutrients are still there! These locations could also be spots that the provider of the food could put things like informational cards about the foods available, recipes, or even coupons for local stores. Any assortment of those things might be beneficial for the community, though it would be challenging to organize it all together like that. I think the concept has a lot of potential and it would be interesting to see how it could be developed.
Nikki, I love your idea of having a “sample/demo” station at food pantries. Not only would this encourage users to try something new and increase their F/V/D intake, it might also make them feel like they are having a traditional grocery shopping experience that one might have in “a for-profit grocery store”, which I think would be great as a food pantry user.
Kaitlyn and Tessa, I think you both touched on some great points and ideas. To combine your ideas, I think educating users on grocery budgeting, sales, coupons, store specials, "scratch/dent" produce bins,etc. would be beneficial as many people have the view that eating healthy is too expensive, when reality it might just take a little planning and knowledge of the “smart” buys that are out there.
Now to share some of my own thoughts…
As I eluded to in my response to Q1, in my past experiences I have seen that participants are hesitant to take fresh fruits and vegetables as a bigger barrier to consumption than the lack of access to fruits and veggies at pantries, although I know this barrier exists in other areas and at other pantries as well. In response to this, I would say that many of the suggestions that we posed in Q1 would serve as possible courses of action to take and programs to implement in this case, with the goal of increasing produce intake.
I found it interesting that the article reported that users were asking for more fresh fruits and vegetables and that providing these may have a positive impact on nutritional intake. However, like I have mentioned, access does not necessarily equate to consumption of these foods. Knowledge of preparation, taste preferences and ability to store (fresh produce is not shelf stable after all) and prepare them may also be limiting their consumption. This is where that big education piece comes into play in the form of cooking classes, demos, and recipe ideas like Tessa and others have mentioned.
Something else I was thinking about, that comes into play when considering dietary quality of food pantry users and their consumption of F/V/D is the food that is available at a pantry or the storage capacity/conditions of the pantry itself. Some pantries have only dry good storage, while others are more developed and established and may have freezer and fridge space, thus providing their users greater access to all components of “MyPlate”, such as dairy products and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables for example. This might be something to look at in the future…expanding pantries’ food storage facilities.
This questions relates well to the first question asked. I believe that it is important to consider why the population is not consuming these food groups. By talking with the population and gathering this information I think you can then make a plan that is more individualized to the community. The plan will most likely include education on these food groups, to highlight why individuals should be choosing these food groups. Education can be provided through handouts, donated books, or even nutrition classes. I think it is also important to consider what foods are being distributed at the food pantry. Is there a variety of these food groups and if not how can we get more of these items in? I think that as a Dietitian it is our role to make sure these options are being provided and are good quality. I think that it is also our job to educate the community on why they should be consuming these food groups and how it will benefit them.
Nikki, love your idea of a produce pick for the week! I think this would be a fun way to incorporate more produce into the diet. I think that it would also be fun to maybe do a cooking class once a month on how to incorporate an upcoming produce that will be featured. This way individuals will be familiar not only with the produce but different ways to prepare produce.
The choices offered at food pantries may have a large effect on diet quality of pantry users. Storage equipment and capacity, possibly food permits, and availability of competitive products may affect fruit/vegetable intake of participants. Many of the pantries I have spent time at do not have the capacity to collect and distribute perishable items. The ones that do offer perishables need to get the products to the consumers extremely quickly because the donated food is often near spoilage. Additionally, when fruits/vegetables are offered it seems that other alternatives offered may distract from these healthy items. Many of the pantries I have been to often have excessive amounts of donated bakery sweets that consumers frequently select. I have heard of some pantries developing policies that do not allow donations of specific unhealthy items like bakery sweets, candy, soda, etc. While these policies do not directly increase fruit/vegetable access or patron intake of produce, the policies may encourage donations of healthier items and lead patrons to choose different foods at the pantry. The set up of food in the pantry can also affect consumer choices. A pantry I volunteered at in Decatur tries to increase patron selection of fruits/vegetables by putting donate produce at the beginning of the “shopping” line and laying out the items on the counter or displaying in crates. This pantry tries to provide a grocery-store feel by setting out produce for people to see and select independently. Giving pantry users advice on how to maximize their pantry resources and do thrifty grocery shopping to supplement their pantry foods could help with poor fruit/vegetable/dairy intake.
As Jenni mentioned, storage can be a major concern for pantries trying to provide more produce and dairy to participants. Refrigeration is often required for these items which means that equipment must be acquired, electrical considerations are needed, and they food items will need to turnover quickly to avoid spoilage as well as make room for new incoming donations. Kaitlyn mentioned “food libraries” in the community. I think there would be significant challenges with this initiative such as spoilage, weather, and food safety. However, a similar concept could be effective if it is centralized, advertised, and is well-known in the community. A community initiative in West Bloomington is the Veggie Oasis gleaning project associated with the farmers market. Additionally, the local organization called Beacon of Hope collects food donations from local grocery stores daily. This organization collects a wide variety of foods including produce, and distributes the donations to West Bloomington community members every few days at the Tool Library. This project is well-known in that neighborhood and closes part of the gap between local grocery store food waste and local food insecurity.
Increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables, and dairy can be a great challenge in various populations; thus, I believe it is best to approach this problem in various ways. By having numerous methods of signage, handouts, supplemental coupons, and other means of messaging within the population's environment is key. We would want them to be constantly reminded on the importance of fruit, vegetables, and dairy and for it to become apart of their environment. Because it may be difficult for us to get messaging into the populations every-day environment, one may have to rely on a few key members of the population's community to be an advocate for fruit and vegetable consumption and seek to get that message across using their expertise and knowledge of their community.
Kirsten, you make a great point about going to the policy level with some food pantries deciding now to ban the acceptance of certain high calorie, low nutritional-value products. I also agree with your statement that fresh fruits and vegetables are often not desirable at food pantries because of the difficulties of storing perishable foods. I was grateful to hear about your experience at the Food Pantry in Decatur on how they strategically placed healthier food items in places consumers would be more likely to see and purchase. Perhaps a dietitian could provide an in-service to their local food pantry and describe how product placement can have a great influence on consumer behavior with the end goal to have more fruit, vegetables, and other nutritious food items taken.
I think it is really important to emphasize canned and frozen fruits and vegetables with this population as fresh can be hard to store. It may also be beneficial to provide items like can openers to those who need it. Furthermore, it may be beneficial to educate the food pantry staff on the health benefits of canned items. During my rotation, I saw how the food pantry staff can purchase large quantities of items from donations, and at one point the manager asked my opinion if it would be better to get regular canned tomatoes or low-sodium canned tomatoes. This would be an excellent learning opportunity for the staff to learn how to make the best choices when ordering bulk foods. It is very difficult to eat healthy with these types of resources, so if the food pantry can offer low-sodium or "no added sugar" varieties of canned fruits and vegetables this would be a step toward healthier food choices.
I really like Nikki's idea of a featured item of the week! That would draw more attention to healthy foods, and if the food pantry had a large supply of one item that would help with promotion. This could also be done with dairy products as well. Dairy may be harder to keep due to the need for refrigeration. Lauren mentioned dry milk which would be a good option. Another option would be shelf-stable milk boxes.
I think a lot of us hit on this in question one. Creating recipes with featured items and providing information on specific foods could potentially increase the likelihood of food pantry users choosing those foods. People love samples, so providing samples of fruits, vegetables, and even dairy products might entice people to try and then take the product. I also believe that visuals and displays play a huge role in people going to the produce section. Working with the food pantry to create an inviting produce section could potentially draw more users to go to that section.
I agree with everyone's ideas to have cooking demos, samples, recipes, and so on. I'm on board with all of your ideas on educating users on budgeting, coupons, and store deals, food libraries, and so on. I think all of the ideas we come up with serve as evidence that this is a topic we are interested in and are passionate about in our field. Executing these ideas and giving this population the attention it deserves has the potential to reverse or at least decrease the idea of "low SES, poor diet quality."
I think before any intervention is possible, we have to find out if the items they are getting are by choice (they pick them out themselves) or if they are just given a bag. Many participants might not know what certain items are or how to prepare them which prevents them from eating the item. Giving them recipes and information about the items may help them try new things. Talking to them in person and showing them how to prepare items is also important because it allows them to try the item and know what it is supposed to taste like when they do it on their own. Finally, educating them on why fruits, vegetables, and dairy are important to their health is important. Many may not know and may be more willing to try various items after hearing the positive benefits. However, even with all this, the low consumption of these items most likely has to do with availability of the items than anything else. Supporting food programs and distributing information to this population is important to increase access. Without access increasing consumption is impossible.
A great deterrent for many people is that they think that healthy foods are gross and taste disgusting or bland. I have a friend who admitted to me that her husband wouldn't eat my Greek yogurt dip because it was healthy and that nothing beats sour cream. My friend, who did try the dip, couldn't tell the difference between a sour cream based dip or my Greek yogurt dip. She tried to explain this to her husband, but he was still resistant.
I think that if we can provide samples of healthy dishes that include F/V and dairy items, then more individuals would be more likely to try them out. You will always have those individual's, like my friend's husband, who won't ever give it a shot, but you may reach many others willing to try something new. Providing multiple recipes that are simple to go along with the samples may help the individuals to incorporate more F/V and dairy at home.
I also think that if the food banks and pantries can provide more F/V and dairy options, then this will increase consumption as well.
This question reiterates what we all mentioned in the first question. Education is extremely important for this population, and since many people cannot afford to be counseled by an RDN directly, free workshops and educational tools should be supplied by food pantries. I agree with what Reilly stated about how people are more likely to try new items when they hear about positive benefits. When grocery shopping consumers are drawn to items that say things like "heart healthy" or "reduces cholesterol" or "improves immunity" usually seen on breakfast cereal boxes. Just simple education on fruits, vegetables, and dairy consumption could be enough to sparks someones interest in trying to include more in their diet.
Nikki’s “produce pick of the week” suggestion is awesome! It would add fun, interest, and really promote the vegetable or fruit. The RDN would have to really think on their feet since food pantry foods are so variable, but I believe that it would be quite successful!
Kirsten, thank you for sharing about some of the organizations right here in the community that are working to bridge the gap between grocery store food waste and local food insecurity/food pantry offerings. It is neat to hear what is going on around us. Mentioning the source of most of the food pantry items, the local grocery stores, it is great that they offer food items, but you are right that they are not always (hardly ever) the healthiest! It is tough to turn down food for this needy population, and you don’t want the grocery stores to waste the food either, but there does have to be a limit in the amount of sweets/baked goods I would think.
Providing education to consumers about the importance of these food groups in the diet is an important first step in improving the intake of these items. The education should also include information about how much of the foods people should try to consume each day and providing easy to follow recipes/food demos/cooking classes on the foods would lead to improve intakes. Additionally, the article pointed out the motivational interviewing increased f/v consumption.
In the case of fruits and vegetables, these are the easier fix as they may be purchased and redistributed, with some counseling education, as shelf stable canned and dried goods. Counseling and education may improve consumption by the population with the products provided in a nutritionally balanced ratio to starch and protein products.
Dairy however, is much more difficult. Powdered milk is generally foreign and unappetizing to consumers. Also, fresh milk is not shelf stable, requiring large equipment to maintain in pantries and not safe to accept post expiration from grocers, due to easy time temperature abuse. Solutions may include campaigns to increase acceptability of dried milk and like shelf stable dairy products.
Or a more radical idea is a specific dairy aid effort to connect pantries directly to dairies to receive deliveries as a standard donation or shipment in association with a federal/ state/ municipal commodity.
Issues would still exist as to recipient storage ability, but the availability of dairy products would increase at least.
Like Kandice mentioned, the article brought up how motivational interviewing helped to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. I had never heard about this counseling technique. We did not learn about it in my undergrad. I was able to experience it in action in one of Dr. Schumacher's classes when the undergrads practiced. I can see how this technique could increase F/V consumption because the client is the one who comes up with the idea to do so and is also the one who decides how they are going to make it happen which means they have become invested in the idea and will likely work harder to achieve it.
One thought that comes to mind is something that I did for undergrad. For a project in community nutrition, my group decided to collect food for the food pantry. Along with collecting food, we also decided that we would create simple recipes to go along with the canned goods that we collected. I think that when simple recipes are provided that include the fruits and vegetables that are often found at food pantries, individuals are more apt to consume fruits and veggies. Many times, I feel as though those canned goods are just eaten as is. This doesn't involve much flavor, therefore people may get tired of eating the same bland foods. If we can provide simple recipes for these canned goods, we can introduce new flavors and hopefully encourage an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption.
I really like Kaitlyn's idea of creating fruit and vegetable boxes/posts in food deserts. With some trial runs, I think it could be a great way to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among this population. Kaitlyn's idea reminds me of a service called Blue Apron. When you subscribe to Blue Apron, they send you the ingredients for a meal pre-measured in a package that is sent via mail. Directions to finish the meal prep are included in the package. In doing this, meal prep becomes short and requires less cookware. Perhaps a similar but modified version of Blue Apron could be created as an additional outreach tool for the low SES population residing in food deserts. There would certainly be cons to this approach since they are not going to community pantries, but perhaps it can be an adjunct to what they are allowed at food pantries.
I too like the Kaitlyn's idea. I think it was very creative, but, as Lauren said, this may not be very logical. I think maybe a better idea would be to have a community garden that would be free to the public and placed in food deserts or near local food pantries. Keeping track of the garden could also open up a few job opportunities in the summer for locals looking for some extra cash!
I think an important thing to remember is that "education alone does not equal behavior change," as one of my undergraduate professors once stressed. Providing education is important, but other factors in people's decisions ought to be considered/addressed as well. Theories such as social cognitive theory can be helping in getting oneself in the frame of mind to look at factors beyond education in my experience. It is important to provide the education necessary for people to understand the importance and benefits of produce consumption, but it is equally as important to understand the variety of factors that lead them to more readily choose snack foods instead. From understanding this, considerable gains can be achieved in promoting fruit and vegetable consumption
Alyssa, your suggestion of providing can openers was a great idea. Like I mentioned before, often times low-income populations lack the equipment to prepare healthier food options so even a simple can opener or microwaveable dish with a cover may make a difference.
While all of the ideas we have talked about are all great suggestions and ones worth considering, I really have to agree with Mike that it is important to remember that education alone or access alone doesn't equal behavior change - and instead we need to strike a balance between these things and remember to consider the specific population at hand. I think a food literacy program or curriculum in collaboration with a food pantry or community garden would also help to promote behavior change.
I feel that inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products directly reflects the limitations of some food pantries. It can be difficult to maintain adequate temperature and climate control for fresh produce and refrigerated products (such as milk, cheese, and yogurt). It is impossible for food pantry users to have adequate intake of these food items if they are not available to them. Donators to food pantries typically give shelf-stable products, such as canned vegetables and beans. As we have learned, canned fruits and vegetables retain the same nutritional properties, so their intake should still be encouraged. I think that canned foods have been stigmatized based upon appearance, sodium content, etc., which may lead individuals to avoid these products unnecessarily. I would begin encouraging food pantry users to still include these types of nutritious foods in their diet, regardless of form. Providing education would help them to make more informed choices. I would also investigate personal barriers to why intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy are lower (ie. picky eaters, unfamiliar foods) in order to address these concerns via counseling.
I think that Michael brings up a valid point. Education provides the tools for individuals to increase their intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, but it does not equate to behavior changes. It is important to gauge the stage of change that individuals are in and tailor the approach for greater effectiveness.
I also have to agree with Mike and Jenni. We can provide additional education and continue to encourage the consumption of these major food groups for this population, but we cannot control whether or not they will make these lifestyle changes. It is our job to promote nutrition and do everything we can to get our message out, but whether or not people consider our advice is out of our control. As Mike mentioned, there are several factors that can contribute to someone not wanting to make behavioral changes.
Throughout this thread we have discussed several options for increasing F/V and dairy intake. I really love the community garden idea. Of course, if there is a community garden and it is free for the community, I feel like there will be people abusing the term “free” and taking more than they need. The garden would have to be monitored in some way so that it is ensured each family receives equal amounts. I am not familiar with community gardens but I just assumed they are more of a “free-for-all” type thing.
Michael, I think you brought up a good point that “education alone does not equal behavior change.” Education is important, providing the knowledge people can use to make informed decisions, but action is required for the behaviors to change. As motivational and stages of change interviewing illustrates, we as RDs need to be there to provide support and information, but ultimately the person has be ready/motivated to make the change for themselves if they wish to be successful.
Rachel V. I like your point that though consumers may consider themselves aware that fruits and vegetables are good for them, would they really name them is a survey asking for foods/lifestyles to counteract specific disease risk, ie cholesterol, heart disease? Emphasizing the specific health benefits of these food groups may increase their celebrity value in the pantry and on the counter.
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