Hello!

We are honored to partner with you to end childhood hunger in Idaho. Thank you for all you do to increase food and nutrition security in our communities! THANK YOU!

The Idaho Foodbank Updates

Annual Program Application
Thank you for participating in alleviating hunger in your school! The school mini-application deadline was May 13^th. A big thank you for all of those that submitted their application! These applications help guide us in planning during the summer for the start of the new school year. If you missed the deadline, but would like to participate for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year, please email your local representative:

Southwest/South Central: Gisele “Jessie” Miller, gmiller@idahofoodbank.org
Eastern: Cecilia Watson, ceciliawatson@idahofoodbank.org
North Central: Lisa Turpin, lturpin@idahofoodbank.org

Closure – Memorial Day & Summer Hours
Please note that The Idaho Foodbank, including the branches in Lewiston and Pocatello, are closed to observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 30th. If you have a delivery or pick up order that is impacted, please contact your local warehouse to reschedule. The Idaho Foodbank will also be transitioning to a "summer hour" schedule between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This schedule means our team will be available Monday-Thursday from 8:00 am-5 pm as well as on Fridays from 8:00 am-12:30 pm. Deliveries and pick up of food from our warehouses should not be impacted.

Partner Training Sessions The team at The Idaho Foodbank is offering sessions to help train your new staff and volunteers or as a refresher session for your existing food distribution team members. Please save the date for the next session and use this Zoom link to join on the following days/times:

Nourish Toolkit Training – May 25th at 1 pm MDT/12 pm PDT
- Hear from Community Initiatives Director, Megan Seal, on how you can build nutrition nudges into your food distribution!

School Pantry Product Highlight
An Oat Treat
Oats (Quick oats item 05PS026) are a great source of nutrition and filling fiber. You may have often heard the recommendation “make half your grains whole”. Oats are an easy way to do that and the creative possibilities are endless! For breakfast, try an overnight oatmeal like this peanut butter and chocolate overnight oatmeal You can heat up in the morning if you prefer to eat it hot. (Sometimes we crave chocolate in the morning!) If you choose to heat this up, choose a bowl that allows for the food to expand. A glass jar used in the recipe may not be able to take a transition from cold-to-quick heat. I top my overnight oats with a sprinkle of pepitas and walnuts for some crunch and additional nutrients (pictured below).

Oats are not just for breakfast. Oats can make a tender and delicious meatloaf too, and kids love having their own meatloaf muffin volcano! Just bake in a muffin tin and top with with your favorite meatloaf sauce to get that volcano look.

If you want my recipe for quick oat and flour pancakes that you can cook in a skillet or in a cake pan, email me at gmiller@idahofoodbank.org.

Do you have a pantry item that participants ask how to make or how to use in their menus? Email me at gmiller@idahofoodbank.org and we will feature recipes with some of these items!

School Partner Highlight

Ross Elementary and Kuna School District
We would like to recognize Kuna School District for working on future planning and collaborating with Alliance Serving Kuna (ASK) and The Kuna Community Food Bank. Their preliminary goals are enlarging their pantry and being able to serve more people in the general community and school district’s families, as well as promoting access to healthcare.

Community Resources
Findhelpidaho.org is a newly launched website that can help Idahoans find community resources. Housing assistance, food pantries, medical care and transportation are just a few of the resources available on findhelpidaho.org. Zip code searches list the closest local programs first and can be completely anonymous. Findhelpidaho.org can be a great way for families to find additional forms of assistance and resources that are available in your area.

Wellness Corner

Gardening & SNAP
Did you know you can buy seeds at participating retailers using a SNAP EBT Card? Now is a great time to clear some space in the yard, or on your windowsill, for a garden. There are so many benefits to planting a garden including saving money, boosting your mental health and supporting heart health. Share this information from the USDA with your neighbors to encourage garden growing!

The Idaho Foodbank’s nutrition team also has suggestions of what to plant for your garden based on what grows well in Idaho soil! Planting foods you or your family frequently eat can save on some food dollars. Even if you don’t have a backyard, there are alternative methods to growing your own food. Check out The Idaho Foodbank’s information on Gardening & Nutrition by clicking here.

Spring Harvest Recipe – from MyPlate.org
Salad – a food with limitless potential! The variations of salad are infinite and budget friendly. You can find a great leafy base and toppings for a salad at your local grocery store or you can plant your own! Even little kids can lend a helping hand in the garden to pick the food and rinse it. Salad is a great side for any meal and there are many variations, so it is full of nutrients to leave you full and nourished. Click here to see the recipe from MyPlate.org on the “5 A Day Salad”!

Eat the Rainbow
Salad can also be a wonderful way to eat more color! Get creative and color your plate with the rainbow. Different-colored plants are linked to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits. This PBS Kids site helps kids connect with nutrition and colorful food. You can also share on your social media page and at your food distribution to encourage healthy eating for all ages!
Rainbow Food

Happy to help.

Reach out to us if you have a highlight to share, have questions, or would like to connect with an IFB team member. Email us at: nutrition@idahofoodbank.org.