Communities of excellence in nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention (CX3) project stimulates planning and policy development in food banks

Families experiencing food insecurity should receive nutrient dense, healthy foods when requesting assistance. Food banks and distributors with county-wide member agencies addressing local food insecurity need to garner a variety of quality, healthy foods and promote nutrition education. Standardized tools have been developed with input from food bank association experts to gather data on types of foods, policies and nutrition education practices in food banks. Since 2006, over 20 food banks and other county-based distributors in California have been surveyed through Communities of Excellence in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention (CX3). Developed by the Network for a Healthy California, California Department of Public Health, CX3 is an evidence-based, program planning and policy promotion framework. In-person interviews with coordinators and site surveys were conducted. Preliminary results show that most food banks (73%) offer fresh produce daily, yet the most common vegetables available are potatoes and onions. Healthy foods such as beans, peanut butter, and whole grain cereal are offered daily and forty percent of distributors limit soda availability to rarely or never, however 74% offer other sweetened beverages every day or weekly alongside cookies, sugary cereals and candy. Fifty-three percent of food banks offer nutrition education, showing room for improvement with resources available. Scoring criteria were developed for public health and nutrition professionals to engage with food bank staff, identify areas for improvement and develop steps to implement policies and activities that enhance offerings and provide nutrition education. Surveys and scoring additionally provide for future evaluation of success.