Eating Healthy in Hard Times

By V. Michelle Bernard/Good Medicine

High produce prices are making it hard, but not impossible for New Yorkers to eat healthfully.

High Costs, Low Nutrition
It’s no secret that the recent economy has impacted every aspect of American life, including nutrition. Feeding America, a national network of 203 food banks, including several in Central New York, has said that one in eight Americans have needed help buying groceries this year. To add to the problem, produce prices have recently increased while prices for snack food seem to have gone down according to a recent American Dietetic Association study.

Although the high calorie snack options seem to offer a better deal, it is a better long-term deal to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, making the decision to eat healthfully even harder for low income Americans.

Balanced Budget & Checkbook Possible
Registered dietician Karen Ertel said there are many options for low income families to make sure they’re eating healthfully including using government subsidized programs and food banks for those who qualify.
Ertel, a dietician at the Syracuse Community Health Center, has noticed that a lot of people on strict budgets leave the vegetables out of their diet, but there are cheaper ways to get your servings of vegetables including canned and frozen vegetables.

Cutting down on the amount of meat eaten is another way to stretch the food budget, said Ertel.

“When you cut down on your meat portion sizes you actually do open a pretty good part of the budget to use for other things,” she said.
She also said eating staples such as rice and beans can add good nutrition, while keeping the budget low.

Reaching Out For Help
Jeanette Stanard is part of one of the many families from Central New York who are making their food dollars stretch by visiting the Food Bank of Central New York’s fresh food giveaways, like the one at the 1st Ukrainian Pentecostal Church in Camillus.

Stanard hasn’t been working since her daughter was born last summer. But going to giveaways, like the one in Camillus, has allowed her to provide more diverse and nutritious food to her family.

“The cost of living and the cost of food is outrageous,” said Stanard. “And going to pantries and fresh food giveaways, such as this, forces you to eat healthy. There’s normally fresh foods as well as baked products, milk, cheese, a lot of real healthy ingredients,” she said.

Last year alone, more than 2.1 million New Yorkers, such as Stanard, were served by food banks.

Tips
Not everyone can qualify to visit food banks, but that isn’t an excuse not to eat vegetables and fruit.

Eat healthfully on a budget by following these tips from registered dietician Karen Ertel:

• It’s OK to buy frozen vegetables and some canned vegetables. They provide almost as many nutrients as the fresh.
• Try to buy in-season and locally grown produce
• Buy and eat less meat
• Replace soda with water or sugar free drinks
• Buy cheap, yet healthy staples such as rice and beans

For more tips on eating healthfully on a budget click here.