Local Bonduelle USA employees wrapped-up their support of the American Heart Association’s November Eat Smart Month campaign with three food drive collections. Their collective effort in the Rochester, Bergen and Brockport offices resulted in over 1,000 items donated in November to Foodlink and United Methodist Food Pantry as well as those donated to the Brockport Food Shelf on December 2.
“Creating a better future through plant based foods is Bonduelle’s mission,” Lorri Harkins, IT Service Desk Manager said. “We wanted to expand its Eat Smart Month efforts in our second year of joining the Eat Smart Month campaign by not only educating and inspiring local elementary children and their families to eat healthy but give them additional tools to do so as well as provide healthy food options within our community,” Harkins said.
Not sure what to purchase for healthy food donations this holiday season? Look for the Heart-Check mark to quickly and easily spot heart-healthy foods. Some suggestions from the American Heart Association include:
•Frozen vegetables
•Low-sodium or no-salt canned vegetables, beans or soups, including dried beans
•Low-sugar, low-sodium pasta sauce or canned tomato products
•Canned fruit packed in 100% juice or water
•Unsweetened dried fruit (such as raisins, not fruit leather or roll ups)
•Shelf-stable milk, almond milk or soymilk
•Whole wheat pasta or brown rice
•Canned tuna or canned salmon
•Natural peanut butter (no sugar, no hydrogenated oils – just peanuts) or low-sugar
•Salsa
•Low-sugar cereals or whole grain cereals
•Low-sodium whole wheat tortillas or taco shells
•Dried herbs and spices
•Honey or Olive oil
•Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or stock
One in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese. This contributes to a wide range of health problems for kids, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol levels. Excess weight at young ages also has been linked to earlier death rates as adults.
“Nourishing yourself, at any age, is smart for your heart and an effective way to take control of your health during the holidays and every day,” Harkins said.
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