Lowcountry Food Bank announces new Nutrition Policy

Nutrition policy guides LCFB food procurement and distribution for those who struggle with hunger in the Lowcountry

The Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB), whose mission is to lead the fight against hunger in our community, announced today the publication of a formal Nutrition Policy to guide LCFB decisions about which foods the LCFB purchases, receives and distributes to Lowcountry neighbors who are food insecure.

The Nutrition Policy ensures a focus on foods that positively contribute to our neighbors’ overall health and alleviates hunger and food insecurity. Although many factors can affect the cycle of food insecurity, the LCFB believes that greater access to nutritious foods can help break this cycle and that proper nutrition is crucial to preventing diet-related chronic disease to ensure Lowcountry neighbors’ productivity at work, school and in daily activities.

The Policy also communicates to all LCFB stakeholders that LCFB is committed to improving equitable access to nutritious food in our community. The focus is to procure more nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. The procurement and distribution of foods that do not add nutritional value will be reduced.

This LCFB Nutrition Policy is the gold standard used to procure and distribute Foods to Encourage (F2E). F2E meet specific nutrition standards set by Feeding America’s ‘Detailed Foods to Encourage’ framework, and include foods that nourish, prevent poor health, and help people manage chronic disease.

The LCFB Nutrition Education Team provides training and materials to empower individuals to prepare delicious, nourishing meals. As a SNAP Education Implementing Agency, LCFB provides our partners with training, materials, and guidance on how to empower our community to make the best food choices with their budget. Making the most of the food resources is a key part of addressing the root causes of hunger.

For more information about Nutrition Education at LCFB, including cooking courses, grocery store tours, LCFB partner agency nutrition education, recipes and additional outreach events, visit https://www.lowcountryfoodbank.org/ending-hunger/nutrition-education/.

About the Lowcountry Food Bank: Feed. Advocate. Empower.

The Lowcountry Food Bank serves the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina and distributed more than 32 million pounds of food in 2019. The Lowcountry Food Bank helps fight hunger by distributing food to nearly 300 partner agencies including on-site meal programs, homeless shelters and emergency food pantries. The Lowcountry Food Bank advocates on behalf of those who experience hunger and helps empower people to make healthy and nutritious food choices. For more information, go to the Lowcountry Food Bank website and connect with us at www.lowcountryfoodbank.org