Helping The Poor Get Proper Nutrition

As I mentioned in a journal on this very topic, which comes first, poverty or mental illness? Many people believe that most mental illnesses, along with most physical illnesses are the result of a poor diet and too much stress. Fast foods are loaded with saturated fat and high in sodium. Too many people living on a low income drink pop and eat junk food which contain no nutrients to promote or sustain proper health.

One of my future aims once I have my diploma, and enough of a clientele to sustain myself, is to find a way to get good food, vitamins and minerals to the poor living in Victoria. I know from personal experience the kind of food you get at Food Banks. Except for tomato sauce, which contains lycopein, the rest of the offering is a nutritional wasteland.

Produce, locally grown, and in season should be offered to food banks. Good proteins with omega 3's and omega 6 oils, like tuna and salmon that come in tins are a healthy food choice. (You get omega 3's in eggs as well.) When combined with vegetable pasta makes a hearty meal. There are several other combinations.

Legumes (pulses), beans and whole grains are nutritious and needn't be bland. And they are so cheap to purchase if you're willing to soak them yourself.

Therein lies another problem. Most poor people who live on fast foods and other unhealthy food choices don't know how to make wholesome means from scratch.

Boston Baked Beans was one of my father's favourite recipe's. Even though he never used a recipe, I can still make those beans myself. We never used canned foods growing up.
Let's see. He'd soak the navy beans overnight. Whew! What a smell. Then you rinse the water-soaked beans until the water runs clear. I have been considering a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet again, but for those who aren't, you add a hunk of salt pork fat for flavour. Dad also added mustard, ketchup, chopped onion, brown sugar, and tomato sauce. There are many similar recipe's available online. If people only realized that beans that you can purchase uncooked in a bag are so cheap to purchase and they are a filled with nutrients. Beans without grains don't make a whole protein, but they are a lot healthier than canned soups and canned chili. A small can of chili costs about $3.00. You can make a large batch of chili for slightly more than that if you are willing to do the work yourself.

Getting back to my original point. There must be a way to get produce, including fruits and vegetables, that are slightly past their freshest point into local food banks along with healthy tinned goods. People who aren't eating properly have a whole host of health problems, not to mention mental health issues and difficulties concentrating. I do believe in the literature that says food additives and colourings are a cause of ADD and ADHD.

The second part is to set up kitchens in local churches and have either a registered dietician or someone with the necessary skills, like myself, to teach people how to prepare meals with a combination of fresh produce and beans, lentils and whole grains.