Nutritious donations are more important than ever: 60 million people turned to the charitable food system in 2020. Food banks rely on retail and distributor donations for about 30 percent of inventory, and often receive unwanted unhealthy food, like soda and candy. This resource was developed to help food retailers and distributors donate more nutritious foods and beverages to food banks, food pantries, and other charitable food system organizations. It also provides practical tips on identifying and tracking items for donation by grocery store departments. The resource emphasizes that food donations should be nutritious, fresh, and culturally relevant. It highlights the financial benefits for businesses and the social impacts for communities. The guidelines were informed by Healthy Eating Research’s Nutrition Guidelines for the Charitable Food System, which recommend nutrition parameters for food banks and have been endorsed by Feeding America.
Related Research
November 2021
Policy Approaches to Healthier Food Banking
People who rely on the charitable food system both want and deserve nutritious food and beverages that support their health. Yet a 2018 report by MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that, on average, 25 percent of food bank distributions remain unhealthy. CSPI conducted research MoreSeptember 2021
Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) Toolkit 2021
SWAP was developed in 2016 and revised in 2020 to align with the Healthy Eating Research Nutrition Guidelines for the Charitable Food System. Revised tools include: SWAP Toolkit SWAP and Alignment with the HER Nutrition Guidelines SWAP: Overview of a Stoplight Nutrition System for Food Banks and Food Pantries Steps for Getting Started Using SWAP MoreJuly 2021