February 22, 2012
www.gfb.org
Vol. 30 No. 8
FOOD CHECK-OUT WEEK GIVES TIPS FOR EATING HEALTHY ON A BUDGET During Food Check-Out Week, Feb. 19-25, Farm Bureau is offering tips to help consumers eat healthy on a budget. Higher rates of diabetes and childhood obesity in the South make it crucial that everyone evaluate their diets and take responsibility for the food we eat. As the price for gas rises, so does the cost of transporting, preparing and packaging food products, but a USDA report shows that prices for unprepared, readily available fresh fruits and vegetables have remained stable relative to dessert and snack foods, such as chips, ice cream and soda. “Consumers may significantly reduce their grocery bills without sacrificing nutrition by shopping at competitively-priced stores, using coupons and store loyalty cards, and sticking to their shopping lists,” said Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Linda Crumley. “Another way to stretch your grocery dollars without neglecting nutrition is to buy fresh produce when it’s in season and costs less, while buying frozen fruits and vegetables when they're not in season.” Food Check-Out Week, now in its 14th year, also highlights the variety and dependability of America’s food supply, made possible by America’s farmers. According to the most recent information (2010) from the USDA’s Economic Research Service, American families and individuals on average spend less than 10 percent of their disposable personal income for food. In comparison, Italian consumers spend 14 percent; Chinese consumers spend 33 percent and Pakistani consumers spend 46 percent. To celebrate the safe and affordable food supply our country enjoys, Georgia Farm Bureau is asking its county chapters to hold events in their local communities to educate the public about eating healthy and shopping on a budget. Many county Farm Bureaus are accepting cash or canned food donations to assist the hungry in their counties as well as cash to provide food assistance for the Ronald McDonald House in Macon. Of the money collected during this time, half will be used to assist the hungry in the local community. The other half will go to the Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, the sponsor of the statewide effort, to assist families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Macon. Each year, the Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Committee rotates the state donation to a different Ronald McDonald House. In previous years, donations have been made to the Ronald McDonald Houses in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah. Since 1998, Georgia Farm Bureau and its county chapters have donated $32,700 collected during Food Check-Out events to the Ronald McDonald Houses of Georgia.