A newsletter for you, the staff and volunteers of emergency feeding programs. The aim with this Newsletter is to give you information which will help you provide your clients with the safest, most nutritious food possible. This Newsletter is created by the Cooperative Extension Service staff in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University, with funding from a Community Foods and Nutrition Block Grant administered by the Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family and Children, Housing and Community Services Section. We all like to have a choice, whether it's deciding what to wear, where to go, or what to eat. Choice is good and we appreciate it when we can make decisions for ourselves.
Food choice is highly personal.
Each of us selects food based on our own unique background, likes, dislikes, health concerns, and other considerations. Food choice is important for pantry clients too, yet many pantries find it easier to pre-bag food or feel their limited selection of items precludes individual choice. Frequently, clients discard items in standardized food bags when it's something the family does not eat. Allowing clients to select their own food decreases food waste and provides them with a feeling of control and dignity. You may think client choice is impossible at your organization, but, with some reorganization of shelves or re-training of staff and volunteers, it may be easier to accomplish than you think.