That is not as splashy news as, say, the end of the Twinkie. But it's significant in the food banking world. It may come as a surprise to learn that food banks typically don't have nutritional guidelines in place -- even the ACCFB's soda ban isn't part of a formal written policy. That's because, in part, most people in the anti-hunger world are too busy trying to meet a growing need, and have had scant time for mulling over policy matters.

So taking small steps to assess what constitutes healthy food for clients is a big shift in food bank circles, say leaders in the fight against hunger, malnutrition, and obesity. "These food banks are setting a new standard within the food banking community, paving the way for their peers to be more proactive," says Marla Feldman, director of the initiative at MAZON. "Formal, documented nutrition policies provide a concrete blueprint for how food providers can increase the nutritional quality of the foods and beverages they distribute."

The CHOP system is a quick reference for food pantry members choosing products for their clients. Photo: Courtesy ACCFB — CHOP offers a quick reference for pantry members choosing food for their clients. Photo: Courtesy ACCFB

Here's how the initiative's work has played out in practice at the food bank: The organization, which has two nutritionists on staff, implemented a system on the warehouse floor known as the Choosing Healthy Options Program or CHOP for short -- a simple traffic-light grading of goods (green represents healthy choices recommended any time, yellow foods are sometimes options, and red items, heavy on sugar, salt, and/or fats are rare treats.) In addition, notices like the one below are posted throughout the warehouse offering suggestions for more nutritious eating.

Food pantries served by ACCFB are also experimenting with a new distribution method known as client choice in place of a pre-packed bag of staples. Client choice recognizes the diverse range of dietary needs in a community, whether due to culture, religion, health preferences, or medical concerns. Tofu may be an everyday food for one family, while peanut butter more appropriate for another. Food bank staffers say that client choice decreases waste and increase dignity for clients -- and volunteers enjoy the extra interaction they have with the people they’re helping. At the Oakland Food Pantry -- located in a former liquor store in West Oakland -- clients appreciate the chance to "go shopping" for fresh foods and kitchen staples in a so-called food desert. "Offering vegetables and fruits has made a big difference in the way people choose what they take home," pantry executive director Greg Harland reports in an ACCFB newsletter. "At first, people didn't grab broccoli, but now it's all gone at the end of the day. With availability comes change."

Food bank clients at the Oakland Food Pantry report a preference for choosing the types of produce they take home to cook. Photo: ACCFB — Clients at the Oakland Food Pantry report a preference for choosing the produce they take home. Photo: ACCFB

And the ACCFB now has a mobile produce hub program delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to small and medium-sized member agencies, saving them the trek out to the food bank's warehouse near Oakland airport. These pop-up produce events take place in parking lots in Oakland, Berkeley, and Hayward and they save smaller agencies time and money. Most importantly, people they serve are now able to enjoy a lot more farm fresh strawberries and oranges.

The food bank is also in the early stages of developing formal, written nutritional guidelines and, as part of that process, is evaluating the contents of all the cans, boxes, and containers of products that are either donated or purchased for distribution to people in need, according to Justine Kaplan, the food bank's director of food, agency, and nutrition services. This time-consuming process will likely have implications for purchasing decisions down the track, adds Kaplan, who notes that 60 percent of the food banks' offerings are procured.

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Food Banks Shift Focus, Seek to Nourish People in Need