giving thanks

In 2007, two years before I entered the public health and nutrition world, I began what would become a tradition of working in a soup kitchen every Thanksgiving Day outside of New York City. While my experience has become more fulfilling each year for so many reasons, I am also thankful for the extra resources that I am able to bring each year besides simply my time as my studies grow. For example, this year I taught the kitchen directors’ husband the difference between Fructose sugar (in fruit) and Sucrose sugar (table sugar). I also advised him to lay lower on all the grape juice he confessed to consuming, and to try eating some fresh grapes more often instead. I explained how he is missing out on all the fiber grape skins have to offer. Plus, his grape juice is likely loaded with added sugars. It is in this community kitchen and food pantry that I help bread butter, cut pie slices, and my favorite responsibility: serve to hundreds of people. But I should admit my love for serving most likely has to do with how I love to talk, and how I have this strange thing with watching people eat…

I love watching people eat. It may be because in my brain I am picturing the biochemistry occur in your digestive track. I value the delicate system that is our body, and know just how unbelievably amazing we work; more specifically how amazing food is, and how it absorbs into our cells to help us perform all the right functions. It is a sensitive system, and relies so much on how we treat it. This makes me a jumping bean in a soup kitchen where I not only get to see people eat, but I know it is temporarily relieving a food insecurity that one in six American homes are currently facing.

While I take pride in being able to serve, I only had that responsibility in the morning. Somehow, I got drafted to the kitchen for the actual meal, where guess what? I was behind the Turkey. There I was in my apron, plastic gloves, and Oakland Athletics baseball cap using tongs to grab turkey and begin making the plates which would be served. Turkey parts drenched in gravy or not, I was a happy camper. (After everyone has eaten we make second plates and wrap them with foil for guests to take home).



There is one man I look forward to seeing every year. We will call him Mr. B*. He always greets me with “I knew you’d be here today!” I look at Mr B* who has corn bread on his plate. I am walking around with my trail mix and plastic spoon. I am competing with the pies, coffee cakes, and corn breads that were also being passed around with coffee in the hour leading up to lunch time. “Would you like some trail mix?” I ask him. He pauses and smiles at me as if he is thinking about it. I don’t give him a real chance to answer. “You know what? You’re going to have some. There are walnuts in here, which are good for your brain, (as I place walnuts on his plate) and almonds which can help you stay full. This trail mix is packed with goodness and we want you healthy”. He laughs and says “oh yea? OK”, and he eats it. His friend looks at me and says “You must be a vegan”. (This is typical, I say “healthy” and it is assumed I am one of those wacky vegan, organic, no meat, tofu loving, tree hugging people). Which, I suppose, I am not too far away from ;)
“Well, close, I am actually a vegetarian, I can’t give up cheese!” and I laugh at myself. He asks me about iron and protein among other common questions on this subject. Then he told me I looked like I needed a burger. He was joking, (right?) but really, they were great. We fed 238 people this day.

From a nutritional standpoint, as expected with most donated food it is more common to see the processed items (boxes of white pasta, instant mashed potatoes, “little Debbie” cakes, Entenmanns products, canned peas and carrots etc) get served. Donated food comes with a lot of “red tape”. Most kitchens want non perishable items which make people think of canned and boxed, which often come along with oober amounts of preservatives and ingredients that shy away from natural, and certainly aren't "whole". Also, the source is important to guarantee that no one will get sick, so it is not common to see homemade foods in these kitchens. There are so many factors that affect what kind of food is served, and why. If I have learned anything over the last 4 years in community nutrition, it has been to not become the ignorant nutrition student who asks “why can’t we make a vegan casserole for everyone today?” As an aside: if I go out to our guests and offer anything vegan, I would probably have mashed potatoes flung at me. (Community Nutrition Part One: Know your audience).

Despite budget restrictions, food safety concerns, and the “appeal” of junk foods to most American people, I still believe strongly in pushing for nutrition education and making even small changes to food programs for the better. And if I may step away from my own personal viewpoint for a moment, I would like to point out in an unbiased manner that the working poor and low income populations who are obese and diabetic (or at risk for being so) are the same population groups who are most likely not insured. When they are sick, they rely on federal programs to get better. It is economically wise to protect this population group, regardless of where you stand politically, where you feel our congress should be slashing funds, or how you feel about fruits and vegetables. It is
economically wise to protect all population groups for that matter, since healthy adults are productive and contribute more to society in the long run as opposed to those who are sick, and/or out of work. Healthy children do better in school, and grow up to be healthy, smart, and successful adults. And since our nation has federally funded emergency food systems across the country, congress absolutely has the power to choose the path that is “good” here. Above and beyond economic decisions, it is also morally correct. Humans are good, and we have good nature within us to, when we are aware of the better outcome, do what we can to make that the reality.




If you would like to donate food to your local food pantry or community kitchen, here are a couple of suggestions:
1.Find out if they have freezer space, and if they do then donate frozen vegetables instead of canned. Frozen vegetables are picked when they are ripe, and flash frozen on the spot. There isn’t any sodium like there is in canned foods, and they can be in a freezer for many months. Also, vitamin content remains intact so your eaters will be getting nutritious vegetables.

2.Most kitchens do not accept, but if yours takes homemade food; consider making something fresh to bring.

We live in a world where there is an abundance of food at the same time as massive shortages. We live in a country where the wealthiest live a short number of miles away from the poorest. There are discrepancies everywhere as the gaps widen, and the numbers show that these gaps are affecting our mental and physical health. Above all of this, in our shakey economic state; it is important to remember that it does not matter which side of the table you are on whether you are serving or eating that day. We are all the same, and everyone deserves food that makes them healthy and feel good.