SuperFood Drive: Transforming food banks into nutrition banks

There is increasing attention on overnutrition and obesity rates in the United States, however, malnutrition and food insecurity are of growing concern. In 2011, 13.2% of Americans have fallen below the poverty line, while 15% of Americans were considered food insecure in 2010. Food insecure individuals and households, as defined by FAO2, often rely on emergency food sources including food banks, shelters, and soup kitchens. As food banks become an increasingly integral food source, the nutritional content of distributed foods cannot go unexamined. There is a wealth of evidence linking obesity with lower socio economic groups and linking food insecurity with poorer diets.1 Superfood Drive (SFD), a non-profit organization and grassroots movement, was created to bridge the gap between nutrition and individuals reliant on emergency foods. Objectives: In collaboration with private and public partnerships, SFD operates under a nutrition-banking model that transforms emergency food providers including: food drives, food banks and humanitarian aid, into providers of nutrient dense non-perishable superfoods. SFD's model is changing the history of food banking through efforts such as: the distribution of millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, dissemination of innovative and culturally tailored food literacy programs, redefining local food sourcing policies, and increasing the nutritional value of non-perishable, ethnically appropriate foods being distributed to individuals and families. One of the organizations flagship programs is the SuperKids for SuperFoods initiative, a program that educates youth on health and the benefits of nutrient-dense foods, while engaging with them on a community-wide approach to alleviating hunger.