Nutrition is an important part of our goal to create a healthy and hunger-free NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin.
For many of our Northland neighbors nutritious food like fresh fruits and vegetables may be too expensive and simply out of reach. Without proper nutrition, these neighbors have an increased risk of chronic disease like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank has made a commitment to accessing nutritional food for our agency partners and our programs. In fact, nearly 2/3 of the food we distribute meets the “My Plate” five food group building blocks. And, as much as 27% of the food we distribute – over 1.8 million pounds – is fresh fruits and vegetables.
Our commitment to nutrition includes:
- Accessing nutritional food from a healthy list of national and regional suppliers
- Partnering with the University of MN and WI Extension, educating our staff, volunteers, agency partners and program participants on nutrition
- Providing wholesome food through our BackPack Program, Food Shelf, Mobile Food Pantry Program and Nutrition for Seniors (CSFP)
- Being an advocate or voice for public programs which supply nutritional food in our region
We recognize that we play a supplemental role in the dietary needs of our Northland neighbors. Our goal isn’t to limit their food options but to instead offer a choice of healthy and nutritious food, which leads to healthier lives and outcomes.
