Providing menu and shopping toolkits to improve food access and security during a pandemic

Kelly Kunkel,Betsy Johnson,Abby Gold

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2020.101.029

Abstract

In response to COVID-19 stay-safe-at-home orders, the University of Minnesota Extension created and disseminated menu and shopping list toolkits for use by consumers and emergency food supply organizations. The menus were developed to use items commonly available from food pantries and small rural grocery stores. The menu and shopping toolkits have been useful to provide to consumers who are sheltering in place during the pandemic and may be useful to consumers and emergency food providers during other emergencies such as natural and human-made disasters that may limit access to food.

Highlights

With every day of the pandemic, vulnerable populations were put at greater risk for food insecurity due to loss of employment and supply chain disruptions resulting in rising food costs or lack of food availability
In response to the mid-March shutdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 and relieve the burden of food insecurity in already vulnerable populations, University of Minnesota Extension created a series of food access resources for consumers, rural grocery stores, and emergency food providers
As people return to work and businesses settle into a new normal, the guides and toolkits have become embedded in the routines of food pantries and community partners of our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-Ed program

Summary

Introduction

With every day of the pandemic, vulnerable populations were put at greater risk for food insecurity due to loss of employment and supply chain disruptions resulting in rising food costs or lack of food availability. One COVID-related study from a community health center in Texas reported food insecurity well above the usual 20%–25% rate expected among high-risk families with children, and almost four times that of U.S households (Abrams, Avalos, Gray, & Hawthorne, 2020). In response to the mid-March shutdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 and relieve the burden of food insecurity in already vulnerable populations, University of Minnesota Extension created a series of food access resources for consumers, rural grocery stores, and emergency food providers.

Results

Conclusion