Expert Healthy diet doesn’t have to be a lofty expensive goal / Public News Service

March is National Nutrition Month, and North Dakotans are being reminded of ways to better manage their health through personalized diet plans considering flexibility without all the pressure.

In a post-pandemic world, people might try to shed unhealthy eating habits they developed during the early stages of COVID-19. Or the crisis may have inspired them to pay more attention to preventing disease and improving their health.

Bailey Holmquist, a registered dietitian based in Fargo, said fewer processed foods should play a role. For example, there are certain proteins to keep in mind.

“I tell my patients, ‘Do what you’re able to, but if we can get good grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, wild-caught fish,'” Holmquist outlined. “So that we get the most nutrients out of those animals.”

But if such items are not in your budget, or you don’t have time to look for them, she recommends buying the protein most easy to obtain. Canned beans are considered a good complementary option. And there is affordable peanut butter made from healthy ingredients. Holmquest emphasized it is not about being perfect with your diet, but instead focusing on consistency.

Holmquest also pointed out specific guidance on healthy diets does not work for everyone, and it is important to figure out what your body can handle.

“If somebody has kidney disease and they hear ‘protein,’ that’s so not good for them to hear,” Holmquest noted. “Because protein is very, very hard on the kidneys, when someone has impaired kidney function.”

As for fresh fruits and vegetables, she recommends rinsing them off before using, which helps to remove any pesticides used to grow them. As for meal planning, Holmquest suggests having plenty of your favorite “go-to” nutritious items stored in your kitchen, which makes it easier to prepare something healthy on a busy night.

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Colorado lawmakers are considering ways to address a projected $24 million funding shortfall in the Healthy School Meals for All program, and grants to help districts purchase food from local farmers and ranchers could be at risk.

Dan Sharp, nutrition services director for Mesa County School District 51, said serving fresh, locally-sourced foods — as opposed to highly processed foods shipped cross-country — gives kids the fuel they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

“There’s evidence-based research that the more locally sourced our food supply is — whether we get it at the grocery store or through our school meal programs — a higher quality and better nutritious product for our students,” Sharp explained.

A new survey sponsored by Hunger Free Colorado and MAZON found 70% of Republicans, 79% of independents and 91% of Democrats view the school meal program approved by voters in 2022 as favorable.

The program’s success may be one reason for the budget gap. Participation in school breakfasts has grown by 36% across Colorado and lunch participation is up 31%.

Colorado’s share of the program’s costs, which also received US Department of Agriculture funding, was meant to be paid for by Coloradans who earn $300,000 or more per year. Nearly three of four Colorado voters surveyed want lawmakers to ensure full funding for Healthy School Meals for All.

Sharp believes investment will also benefit rural economies.

“For the Joint Budget Committee to affirm the grant funding for the local food programming next year will have a direct economic impact on our local ranchers and producers in the state of Colorado,” Sharp stated.

He stressed local farmers and ranchers need reliable, heavy-volume buyers like local school districts to make the economics work. Sharp pointed to one rancher he is working with to supply beef for a meatloaf recipe he hopes to offer next school year.

“For that rancher that I just spoke to, it’s a big deal,” Sharp observed. “It saves them those transit costs, and it’s the pride of their product. They want their local beef to be in their schools, for their grandkids or for their kids, and for the families in that community.”

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It’s been an uphill battle for childhood nutrition advocates to advance meal access policies in the South Dakota Legislature. However, organizers say that’s not stopping conversations, along with community efforts. One of a handful of bills defeated this session called on South Dakota to enroll in the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children.

The federal government gives states funding to distribute to eligible families, allowing them to buy food for their children over the summer using an EBT card.

Tony Burke, state government relations director with the American Heart Association of South Dakota, said the group is disappointed with the bill outcomes, but will remain engaged with lawmakers and community groups.

“If we want healthy communities, if we want healthy future generations, we have to start at the very youngest of ages – even in the early childcare space,” he said. “We have to have nutrition that’s really important for their heart and brain development.”

AHA is working with local organizations across the state to foster solutions that would complement any policy action. As for the summer meal program, nearly 40 other states have signed on. However, there is a lingering debate in South Dakota about taking on administrative costs, even with the feds providing the aid for recipients.

Sioux Falls Thrive Executive Director Michelle Erpenbach says transportation is a huge barrier for households in underserved communities to connect with food assistance programs. They hope a new mobile grocery store in her city will get around this problem.

“It moves into neighborhoods where the data shows us that we have families with the highest needs. And so, it’s the idea of ​​how do we counter that concept – that old term of food desert,” she explained.

The coalition says while creative approaches like these might bolster resilience for households with children, not every community around South Dakota can replicate them. Organizers say that’s why it’s vital to weave in state-level support as local solutions come together at varying levels.

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People who receive emergency food services from New Mexico food banks and other charitable organizations were among those at a strategic summit Friday in Albuquerque.

Hunger has increased because of the pandemic, weather-related events and the increased cost of food. Dana Yost, president and CEO of New Mexico Roadrunner Food Bank, said summit attendees contributed their experiences and solutions to Feeding America’s five-year action plan. He noted that New Mexico’s very rural nature creates numerous challenges.

“We have a couple hundred grocery stores for the entire state, and so food access is a big issue,” he said. “And I think that makes sure that the voice of rural America is really heard is a part of the national planning piece.”

Some 44 million people are at risk of hunger in the United States, including one in five children in New Mexico and one in seven people overall.

Leaders from 20 food banks in the Southwest region were expected to attend the summit. Yost said this creates an opportunity to call attention to some of the realities of poverty and hunger faced by relief groups – including logistics, supply-chain glitches and funding. He hopes the local input will give New Mexico a larger voice in Feeding America’s agenda.

“The network will be working on all of the results and the feedback that they heard from the summits across the country to develop basically what’s the next strategic platform for Feeding America, for hunger relief and poverty work,” he said.

Attendees in Albuquerque were expected to include up to 20 food distribution partners of Roadrunner Food Bank. Washington, DC, hosted the first summit in the Feeding America series last summer.

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