Donating Food

The holiday season is a popular time for families to look for ways to give back to their community.  One way to do this is to donate food to the local food pantry.  Food pantries are always looking for healthy foods to share with the families they serve.  Here are some tips on choosing healthy foods to donate to food pantries this holiday season:

Foods that will make a meal – these are foods that are great meal starters or foods that can be combined to create a healthy meals.  

• Pasta sauce, whole grain pasta, and low-sodium canned vegetables.
• Canned tuna or chicken, brown rice, low-sodium canned soup and canned vegetables
• Dried beans or lentils

Food for healthy snacks – these are foods that would make healthy snacks.

• Fruit cups, packed in 100% juice
• Nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter)
• Whole grain crackers or rice cakes
• Granola bars

Perfect Pairs – these are foods that go well together!

• Nut butter and jelly
• Whole grain pasta and tomato sauce
• Low-sodium canned beans and brown rice

MyPlate Food Drive – give foods that are part of each food group

• Low-sodium canned vegetables, canned fruit in 100% fruit juice, canned chicken, brown rice and shelf-stable milk.

Help make a difference in your community during this season.  To find a local pantry in your area, visit the Maryland Food Bank website and type in your zip code https://mdfoodbank.org/need-food/