Nutrition Month

Calendar with food items

ABOUT NUTRITION MONTH

National Nutrition Month is an annual nationwide campaign that invites people to make informed food choices and develop health eating and exercise habits. Held each March, National Nutrition Month was established in 1973 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Families, children, and seniors living with food insecurity are less likely to have access to healthy and fresh food, increasing the probability of nutrition-related health issues. We are committed to providing healthy and nutritious food for our neighbors every day, and throughout March, the food bank focuses attention on nutrition education.

March 2024 Programs and Events

Drive to Thrive

In March 2024, the food bank launched Drive to Thrive, a new initiative to encourage community food drives to adopt a healthier approach to the type of food collected.

Roughly 45 percent of the food AACFB distributes is donated, and locally supported food drives are a large part of the 1.5 million pounds of donated food we distribute to our neighbors in need. Food drives supplement AACFB’s purchases of lean proteins and fresh produce, which are allocated to partners operating food pantries, soup kitchens, and feeding centers across Anne Arundel County.

Drive to Thrive rethinks traditional food drives to focus on collecting food that is low in sodium and sugar, high in fiber, and minimally processed. AACFB’s new food drive guide outlines the importance of nutrition to public health, tips for organizing a food drive, and recommendations for food to donate, such as whole-wheat and gluten-free pasta, low-sodium canned vegetables and beans, and natural applesauce.

AACFB partnered with Annapolis Pediatrics to launch a March community food drive guided by the Drive to Thrive recommendations. Donations of healthy, shelf-stable foods were accepted off at Annapolis Pediatrics locations during business hours throughout the month.

March 6: Hear the Crunch!

Hear the Crunch is Maryland Hunger Solution’s annual campaign held during National School Breakfast Week to highlight the importance of the school breakfast program in ensuring that all students start the day off with the necessary nutrition to learn and grow.

Supporters of the National School Breakfast Program are asked to crunch into an apple to bring awareness to this important nutrition program. We were happy to take part and created a fun video.

Rams Head Give Back Night flyer

March 28: Give Back Night at Rams Head Roadhouse

To close out 2024 Nutrition Month, Rams Head Roadhouse on Generals Highway hosted a “Give Back Night” on Thursday, March 28. Twenty percent of all food sales (minus taxes and gratuities) purchased between 4 pm and 8 pm were donated to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank.

In Words: A Poem for Nutrition Month

The food bank was delighted to share a poem by ten-year-old Andrew Skirpan about helping others in need. “I Don’t Know” is from the Poetry X Hunger website. Poetry X Hunger is an informal initiative focused on intentionally inspiring poetry that addresses the cause of preventing and eliminating hunger. The overall approach is to augment the traditionally cited, tragic hunger statistics with heartfelt, powerful poetry as an innovative way of reaching the public and public policy decision makers.

I Don’t Know

I don’t know how to help, I’m only a bit over 10 right now,

But oohhh, the poor and the neglected of the world.

Look at these eyes staring wide into the sky, with no tears left to cry.

All of the food going in the can and down the drain, these people suffer in true pain.

Some people have futures as bright as the sun, these people have zero, slash, none.

Practically nothing to their name, so if you don’t try to help, who would we have to blame?

——————————— PONDER ———————————-

So many medical problems, statisticians can’t keep a true tally,

Better nutrition and education would not seem so shabby.

The people in poverty have no convenience, life so hard and real,

These people are so weak, they even can’t properly heal.

It would make their world if you do your best to stop their suffering,

They might even live a better life for themselves, and others, with deeper meaning.

Thank you to our Nutrition Month sponsor Annapolis Pediatrics.

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