The long lines were getting longer at the Capital Area Food Bank, and volunteers noticed a growing sense of hopelessness. Even when people came to the food bank for healthy foods, reports indicated that they were taking the fruits and vegetables home, only to fry or “shower” the produce with salt. Kate Sherwood, the executive chef of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, accepted the challenge of creating nutritious, enticing meals, for under $8 for four people. Her attitude was a fresh one–“You can’t get to healthy without delicious”–but her approach is scientific and data-driven. She comes up with a meal and tests it out with the food bank. She edits the recipe when necessary. And when it’s successful, she adds the recipe to an online database and prints cards in English and Spanish to distribute at more than 500 local agencies. It’s turning into an engaging local movement; the outreach goes as far as store cash registers and bags of donated items.
[Image: Capital Area Food Bank]