Limited Access to Healthy Foods Leads to Health Concerns for Many Low-Income Americans

Maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet is not an easy task for most people in the United States, and for the 49 million Americans who struggle with hunger the challenges and barriers to healthy eating can be even greater.

That’s where Feeding America comes in. Feeding America is the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, providing more than 3.3 billion meals to food-insecure people in need each year.  

Feeding America’s Hunger in America 2014 report found that a third of households served by the food bank network have at least one member living with diabetes and nearly 60% of households have someone living with hypertension. Furthermore, 79% of the households reported purchasing less healthful food items in an attempt to stretch their food budget and ensure no one in their family would go without.  For many, this decision is not about not knowing what foods to choose; it is often about not being able to afford or have access to more healthful choices. These are tradeoffs that no one should have to make. 

This March, Feeding America is recognizing National Nutrition Month® to help bring awareness to the difficult dietary and health issues faced by so many Americans also struggling with hunger.  Founded by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month® focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

“Feeding America’s research findings elucidate how important it is that everyone has access to a healthy diet,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. “This is why we work so diligently with our network of food banks to provide our clients with healthy food, such as nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and protein. Last year we sourced one billion pounds of fresh produce, and we expect to surpass that record this year. Additionally, many of the food banks in our network offer nutrition education to empower and equip families to take their nutrition and health into their own hands.”