America's Charitable Food System Is Missing a Key Ingredient | Opinion
Summary
The U.S. government is investing millions to improve access to protein-rich foods for families relying on charitable food assistance. Many food banks currently provide mostly shelf-stable carbohydrates instead of fresh proteins, which can harm health for those facing nutrition insecurity.Key Facts
- About 50 million Americans use charitable food assistance each year.
- Protein-rich foods like beef, seafood, and dairy are among the most expensive grocery items.
- Ground beef prices have increased nearly 15% since last year.
- Many families get diets mainly of shelf-stable carbs because fresh proteins are harder to store and transport.
- The charitable food system lacks enough refrigeration and cold storage to handle perishable proteins at scale.
- Nearly 75% of American adults are overweight or obese, with many showing signs of metabolic problems.
- SNAP funding will be cut by 20% over the next decade, affecting over 22 million families.
- Improving nutrition security means providing enough calories with high nutritional quality, not just enough food.
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