Boston-based dietitian raises awareness for the need of gluten free, low FODMAP and allergy friendly food donations to help feed the hungry with special diet requirements.
· Up to 1 in 8 adult and 1 in 6 children are food insecure in the US
· Living with a health condition that require special diet foods increases risk of food insecurity, such as celiac disease and food allergies
· Food insecurity increases risk of diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions as a healthy diet and lifestyle, reduce risk
· More help is needed, but some Boston area locals are raising awareness + making a difference
Hunger and health are connected. If you can’t feed your body the proper food it needs, you may be at greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, intestinal inflammation and yes, even death.
Special diets are necessary for many health conditions. For food allergies, a condition that impacts 11% of adults and 7% of children, avoiding certain food allergens are essential to prevent life-threatening allergic reactions. For people living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which impacting nearly 1 in 7 in the US, eating onion, garlic and wheat, sources of a group of carbohydrates called FODMAPs, can trigger debilitating pain. In celiac disease, an immune-related disorder, that impacts about 1% of Americans, consumption of gluten causes an inflammatory response that damages the lining of the small intestine, leading to nutrition deficiencies and increasing intestinal cancer risk.
There has been a major rise in food costs and food insecurity rates. The need to procure specialty foods to avoid life-threatening or altering symptoms adds an added financial challenge for many Americans. More and more Americans are experiencing financial distress from downstream impact of the pandemic, impacting their ability to put nourishing food on their table. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 11.1% of Americans were food insecure. Those with special diet needs were found to have greater risk of food insecurity than homes without. Early data shows that that rates of food insecurity have doubled overall and tripled among households with children. (reference below)
What is food insecurity? Being food insecure means that you lack consistent access to enough food to live an active and healthy lifestyle.
Kate Scarlata, MPH, RDN, a Boston-based dietitian is a world-renowned expert in the area of food intolerance, a condition that impacts up to 1 in 5 Americans notes, “For people living with food insecurity andfood intolerance, access to suitable foods to beat their hunger and meet for their medical conditions is challenging. Many food pantries stock foods that can exacerbate digestive pain and distress such as wheat-based bread and pasta, canned legumes, and soups.” Furthering the issue, special diet foods cost more. Gluten free foods cost about twice that of their wheat-filled counterparts, and gluten free crackers are almost 3 X the cost traditional crackers.
Scarlata created the #EndHungerPain initiative to help with this problem. Food companies have jumped on board to help including Fody Food company and Schar gluten free as top financial sponsors of this campaign. Many companies have donated special diet foods including Barilla pasta, Cabot Creamery, 88 Acres, Frito-lay and Kellogg, to help meet the nutritional needs of people living with food insecurity and food intolerance.
This week, Kate made a visit to Project Just Because in Hopkinton, Massachusetts to meet with their president, Cherylann Walsh and Erica Solitro, Executive Team Member and Food Pantry Coordinator, who helps coordinate special diet product receivables and get them in the right hands. Kate visited to help them receive a large scale gluten free and low FODMAP shipment from Fody Food co. (see pictures)
Project Just Because helps struggling families in their times of greatest need by supplying basic necessities including warm clothing, food, school supplies and even holiday gifts. They have an enormous storage facility which helps them accept large scale food donations. They help disseminate their gluten free receivables to other local pantries with families in need.
Want to donate to this cause? Organizations making a difference for people who live at the intersection of food intolerance and food insecurity can be found here: https://www.katescarlata.com/endhungerpain
More about Kate:
Kate Scarlata, MPH, RDN, LDN is a Boston-based dietitian with 30 years of experience. Kate’s expertise is in gastrointestinal disorders and food intolerance, with a particular focus on the application of the low FODMAP diet for functional gut disorders. She was awarded the Outstanding Massachusetts Dietitian Award and recognized as Boston’s Best Dietitian by Boston Magazine. Kate is the author of numerous books and articles on digestive health topics including the New York Times Best Seller, The 21 Day Tummy Diet. Her latest book is The Low FODMAP Diet Step by Step. Kate completed her postgraduate training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate. Kate is a world-renowned food intolerance expert, with a vast platform to get these important messages in the right hands. Kate started the #IBelieveinyourStory campaign to raise awareness about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fund IBS research and provide a safe space for people living with this condition to share their story. This year, we have added a new tenet to this campaign, helping fight hunger with foods everyone can eat, with The End Hunger Pain initiative.
References:
Guillaume JD, Jagai JS, Makelarski JA, Abramsohn EM, Lindau ST, Verma R, Ciaccio CE. COVID-19-Related Food Insecurity Among Households with Dietary Restrictions: A National Survey. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021 Sep;9(9):3323-3330.e3. PMC8421756.
https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/National%20P…
3 pictures from Project Just Because in Hopkinton and 1 picture prior to our east coast hunger tour–where we brought special diet foods in a completely full airstream to pantries from Hopkinton,MA to Charlotte, North Carolina!