Food Is Medicine: Fresh Produce Is the Prescription for a Healthy Life

Something we consistently hear from people who attend our food distributions is how much they appreciate the fresh produce. Recently, Feeding America released a new report titled Elevating Voices to End Hunger Together. This nationwide community listening initiative discovered vital insights into what people facing hunger want and need. One of the big takeaways was that people want access to healthy food for a better quality of life. In fact, 92 percent of survey participants agreed that “food is medicine – if you have regular access to healthy foods, you feel better physically, emotionally, and mentally.”

The Importance of Nutrition as a Nation

On September 28, 2022, the Biden administration held the first hunger conference in more than 50 years, the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition & Health. This conference was significant for two reasons. One, it signaled that this administration is paying attention to the hunger crisis. Two, it put hunger, nutrition, and health together as one and the same. This combination is pivotal because the problem of hunger cannot be addressed without also talking about nutrition and health. We don’t want to just feed our community – we want to provide nutritious food that helps our community thrive.

A mother and daughter with produce they received at a Feeding San Diego produce pantry

Prioritizing Produce

41% percent of the food distributed by Feeding San Diego is produce, and we want to increase that number. One of our goals over the past year has been to launch and expand the Produce Pantry program. Much like our school pantries onsite at local schools and mobile pantries that pop up in food deserts, produce pantries aim to provide a plethora of produce (up to 10 different types in any given distribution) in hunger hot spots so people can access healthy foods they can’t afford otherwise.

Thanks to a grant from the Parker Foundation, which provided seed funding for our first produce pantry at Faith Chapel in Spring Valley, we realized our goal of launching this program. There are now nine sites that serve as Produce Pantries. These locations distribute only fresh produce to communities in need at weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly intervals. But there is still more work to be done to expand the program.

As Leo, a retired marine with three kids, told us: “This really helps getting the fruits, especially the oranges, because that’s good for the kids with the virus and how much kids get sick. They need it more than we do. Our priority is the kids, and we want to make sure they have a proper diet.”

Leo and his family at a distribution held with Feeding San Diego partner, Support the Enlisted Project (STEP)

Help Provide Healthy Options to People in Need

Your support is crucial for getting fresh produce to families like Leo’s. You can help provide more healthy, nutritious food throughout San Diego County. Every dollar donated goes towards rescuing more surplus food and feeding more San Diegans in need. Make a gift today and help us build a healthier San Diego.