Finding nourishment and support during times of food insecurity

This week, millions of Americans had their SNAP benefits reduced, causing massive uncertainties across the country and state. In Georgia alone, 1.4 million Americans, who make up 13% of the state, were impacted.

And those are not the only Georgians suffering from food insecurity. High prices, job losses and the government shutdown have meant that many people are experiencing concerns about where their next meal will come from for the first time.

“We need to be very clear about this. People who don’t eat enough are going to get sick,” Emory University professor Dan Benardot told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

According to Benardot, a professor at Emory’s Center for the Study of Human Health and a registered dietitian and nutritionist, the effects of low access to food are much greater than the feelings of hunger.

“Their immune system is not going to function normally,” Benardot said of people who do not eat enough calories. “They’re gonna be much more predisposed to infectious diseases.”

When someone is not eating enough, they first start to lose muscle mass, before the body moves on to losing organ mass. This becomes even more concerning for young children, whose nutritional status can have lifelong implications.

Finding ways to feed yourself each day while experiencing food insecurity can be a constant challenge, but understanding nutrition and what your body needs is the first step toward caring for yourself and your family.

Eat regularly, not less

This advice may seem counterintuitive, especially if you are already struggling to get three meals on the table each day, but eating more consistently can help your body stay stronger.

“One of the things that I’ve read that happens with people who are taken off SNAP is they lower their meal frequency,” Benardot said. “It’s terrible that that would happen, because that’s just going to increase disease risk.”

According to Benardot, blood sugar stays within the normal range for three hours after you eat before it begins to get low.

“If you wait another two or three hours to eat,” Benardot explains, “you have low blood sugar.”

Instead, eat smaller meals throughout the day, which may not be as substantial as what you would typically eat for a full breakfast, lunch or dinner but will allow you to maintain your blood sugar levels. Benardot compared it to the popular Mediterranean diet eating schedule.

“They never eat too much at once, but even more importantly, they eat in a pattern that stabilizes blood sugar,” Benardot said.

Be creative with protein

Finding good sources of protein can be one of the hardest parts of experiencing food insecurity, as it is often the most expensive food, while its absence is the most noticeable.

“It makes enzymes, it makes hormones, it repairs tissue, it builds tissue and helps to build bones,” Benardot said. “So it’s a really important nutrient.”

First, he recommends looking at canned or frozen meats, which are typically less expensive. There are also great ways to get your protein without any meat at all. Putting together a cereal and a legume, rice and beans, for example, will give the same quality protein as a piece of meat.

“When you combine them, you get a good distribution of all of the essential amino acids,” Benardot explained.

Maintain variety in your foods

While experiencing food insecurity, it can be tempting to pick one or two foods and eat them constantly to take the guesswork out of this stressful time. However, Benardot warns against that.

“There is no such thing as perfect food,” he said. “If you had a green vegetable yesterday, try having something that’s red today or yellow today.”

Eating a variety of foods assures that you are not missing out on nutrients, micronutrients or energy substrates needed for cells.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, which can be expensive, Benardot recommends buying them canned. Try to find ones with no sugars added. For dairy, opt for less expensive cheeses and yogurts over a gallon of milk.

According to Benardot, the risks of this widespread food insecurity can affect way more people than just those in households without access.