Garbanzo beans did
not have a nice ring to them when I was in grade school -- especially the canned variety.
There was a can of 'em that lingered in Mom's kitchen pantry for what seemed like years. Not sure whatever came of it, but it seems like I took it for a canned food drive at school. Maybe my brother did, who knows.
Anyway, that totally random memory came back to haunt me this week when Suzanne Forsberg, a registered and licensed dietitian with St. John's Healthy Lifestyles program, was telling me about items all food banks and food pantries should be receiving -- and
not receiving.
If it's something that you wouldn't want to eat, why would you donate it to other people? That's the question she posed, and it's one I'm embarrassed to say I've never thought of before.
As I mentioned in my Thursday story on food bank donations, Forsberg came up with a list of foods that people should donate to make food banks and food pantries healthier.
Protein foods:
Canned tuna
Canned chicken
Sardines
Vienna sausages
Just Whites (powdered eggs)
Peanut butter (the high-fat variety)
Protein and carbs:
Dried milk powder
Canned beans, peas, lentils
Dried peas, beans, lentils
Frito Lay Original bean dip
Fat-free refried beans
Fats:
Oils
Olives
Nuts
Carb foods (sugars):
Canned fruits (all kinds)
Pasta
Rice
Grits
Oatmeal
Cereals (Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran)
Canned veggies (carrots, green beans, mushrooms, corn, mixed veggies)
Small jars of baby food carrots
Canned soup (low-sodium, low-fat -- cream soups for casseroles and all others)
Rice cakes
Whole-grain crackers (Triscuit, Kavli, Crunchmaster, Wheat Thins)
Blue or yellow corn Tostito chips
Miscellaneous:
Sugar-free drink mixes
Onion and garlic powder
Italian spices
Sugar-free syrup
Low-fat mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
Mustard
Salsa
So next time you donate items, please keep this list in mind.
For a list of local food pantries,
click here. You can also visit the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma’s web site by clicking
here.
Peace, love and healthy generosity ... XOXO
