• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Bless this Mess
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Sides
  • Desserts
  • Snacks
  • Holidays
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Recipe Filter
  • Cookbooks!
  • Our Story
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • All Recipes
    • Recipe Filter
    • Cookbooks!
    • Our Story
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Bless This Mess > Life on the Farm > Our Family > Healthy Living

    Fighting Hunger in Your Own Backyard

    Published: Mar 15, 2016 · Modified: Jul 28, 2020 by Melissa · 36 Comments

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Mail

    Today I'm working with a company that I have admired and enjoyed for years, the tastiest, packaged, real food out there, Larabar.

    When I first found out I would get the chance to work with Larabar I assumed it would be using their products and I decided right away that I'd do a post on hiking, kids, and real food. When I got the project details though, the post took on a different theme. I'm grateful that I had the chance to work under their guidelines. Thank you for supporting the companies that I thoughtfully choose to work with.

    Instead of talking about hiking today, we're talking about hunger in America.

    Ideas on Fighting Hunger in Your Own Backyard

    Larabar is teaming up with Feeding America to help address the issue of hunger and empower you, the community, to join in working to #ShareRealFood across America. Larabar kicked off the partnership with a $150,000 donation to Feeding America and is sending a call to action to us to help spread the mission by sharing a photo, video or a tweet with #ShareRealFood telling them about your experience:

    • Donating to a food bank in your community
    • Volunteering at your local food bank
    • Asking your local food bank how you can help fight hunger in your community
    • Sharing a hunger fact on your social platforms
    • Learning more about hunger in your community

    I looked at the list and said, "What can I do?". I donate canned food when someone knocks on my door and asks for it (the Scouts in our area do this occasionally), but actively working to fight hunger isn't something I think about or participate in very often.

    I had heard of Feeding America before but I wasn't quite sure what they were and who they help.

    Here's what the Feeding America website describes the organization as:

    The Feeding America network is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. The nationwide network of food banks provides more than 3.6 billion meals to virtually every community in the United States through food pantries and meal programs.

    I spent a lot of time on the Feeding America website. I have never known hunger, and for that I'm grateful, but my heart kept going out to all those who have. There are all kinds of videos on the site about people they are helping. My favorite story was that of Gail, a working mom of 3 who didn't qualify for food stamps but also didn't make enough to adequately feed her family. She's considered part of the "working poor." I read the book Nickel and Dimed in college (it's a case study about the working poor) and the ideas have stuck with me. In my own little bubble I have a friend who is a mom of five and who's husband has a great job, but some months putting food on the table is harder than it should be. They live modestly but medical expenses due to some chronic illnesses and special needs children means that they often have to decide between food and gas for their car or food and medication. The Feeding America organization is helping 1 out of 7 American's each year. Over half of those folks report having at least one employed person in the home in the last year, but the median household income of Feeding America clients is $927.

    All this got me thinking.

    Here's what I plan to do.

    Did you know that most food banks welcome fresh produce? I had no idea! I read this awesome post from my dear friend Cassie at Wholefully last year and it opened my eyes. I've decided that this year we are going to have a "community row" in our garden too, the row that we donate to those around us that can be distributed through our local food bank. Everyone deserves to have fresh tomatoes and vine ripened cantelope on their table in August.

    I'm taking this one step further though. I'm involving the kids. I have planned a family night activity for us in which we will talk about the reality of hunger in America. I'm going to pick a few of the videos that Feeding America has produced to show them and then we'll come up with a family action plan, our garden row included. I'm planning on having them get a few plants started in indoor pots (they'll help plant the seeds that we'll transplant to the garden later) and we'll finish up the night with some dirt dessert. They'll enjoy it and I think having some open dialague about real issues, even with children, helps them to better relate to the world around them and helps them to look outside of themselves. I'm excited!

    If this sounds like something you'd like to do, please use the idea!

    Ideas on Fighting Hunger in Your Own Backyard

    If gardening isn't in your future here's another idea.

    After talking about hunger with your family you could go on a trip to the grocery store and then to your local food bank. You could go with the goal of picking out healthy real food and then deliver it. Call your food bank and see what their policies are on perishables, produce, milk, and dairy. You could also include the always easy real food options... Larabars 🙂 Food banks need healthy food options to give to patrons because those types of foods generally carry a higher price tag than a box of that orange mac-n-cheese.

    I thought this was really interesting. A survey commissioned by Larabar found that nearly 3 in 4 (72%) consumers believe that there is a difference between packaged food and real food; however, the majority think that fruits (90%) and nuts (78%) are real food. Larabars are made from 3 to 9 ingredients each and all of them are things you can read, mostly nuts and fruit. My kids always go for the Blueberry Muffin Larabars and they include dates, cashews, blueberries (and blueberry juice), lemon and vanilla. Done and done. My kids know what all of those things are! How great is that. After school real food snacks have never been so easy (or easy to get your kids to eat!).

    Ideas on Fighting Hunger in Your Own Backyard

    I hope you've been inspired in some simple ways you can help bring real food to your community. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this. And because Larabar is awesome they are hosting a giveaway!

    Larabar Giveaway!

    What you can win: a Larabar product prize pack (Estimate Retail Value: $30)
    How to enter: Leave a comment on this post (I'd love to hear your experiences with Larabars/hunger/working poor/Feeding America)
    BONUS: Share this awesome message on YOUR social media platform of choice, use #ShareRealFood, and drop the URL of your share in a separate comment
    Winner will be randomly selected and notified via email. Contest closes Monday March 21, 2016 at 10pm (MST)
    NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO WIN
    Open to all U.S. residents, age 18 and older

    Thanks for being here. Good luck!

    This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Larabar.

    Related Posts:

    • Moving into Our Own House
      Moving into Our Own House
    • That one time we hatched our own chicks...
      That one time we hatched our own chicks...
    • Backyard Chickens: All Cooped Up
      Backyard Chickens: All Cooped Up
    « Maple Sweetened Healthy Banana Muffins
    Avocado Egg Salad »
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Mail
    Craving More

    Take the hassle out of meal planning with: Dinner Made Easy, a FREE 1 week meal plan with full shopping list, easy dinners, nutrition information, serving suggestions for each meal, and more!

    Subscribe Now
    about me

    About Melissa

    Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    1. deb c

      April 22, 2016 at 1:55 pm

      I just ate my very first Lara Bar....Cherry Pie..... oh my!!!!!!! I want another one now!

      Reply
    2. familynlifelv

      March 31, 2016 at 3:28 pm

      This really is such an amazing post. I love how you give real examples and doable ideas on how to help our community. I didn't know about the Fresh Produce. I will have to ask ours now!

      Reply
    3. Heidi Wilcoxson

      March 26, 2016 at 12:11 pm

      I love this. Thanks for planning next weeks family night for me.

      Reply
    4. Sarah

      March 24, 2016 at 5:35 pm

      I can't WAIT to plant our garden. I bet our kids would love sharing the veggies!

      Reply
    5. Jamie

      March 21, 2016 at 7:51 pm

      Such a great idea, I wish my community did something like that. And I love larabars.simple ingredients. They taste good and i don't have to worry about scary fake things in them!

      Reply
    6. Lindy

      March 21, 2016 at 4:55 pm

      I love Larabar! They have the most simple ingredient list and are so tasty. Costco carried them for a minute but not anymore. 🙁

      Reply
    7. Alexandra robertson

      March 21, 2016 at 1:58 pm

      Hunger is so sad. I am glad there are programs to provide kids with breakfast at school to make sure they have fuel in their system to get through the day. Not all schools, but the ones growing up near me. Lara bars are a great snack. I love the simple ingredients and they taste so good. mY son loves them too.

      Reply
    8. Christina Elmore

      March 21, 2016 at 1:17 pm

      Love your idea for including the kids! I will build on this with my own as well. Larabars are delicious!

      Reply
    9. Tiffany Hutto

      March 21, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      What a great post. I love your idea of a Community row in your garden . I wish we were at a place where that was a possibility. I will definitely be checking into some of these other ideas and getting my kids involved. I always want to teach them about giving to others as well as being thankful for what we have (food, full bellies).

      Reply
    10. Melanie Stanford

      March 21, 2016 at 12:32 pm

      Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/112378953180548968/

      Reply
    11. Melanie Stanford

      March 21, 2016 at 12:30 pm

      FB Post: https://www.facebook.com/melanie.chamberlain.54?fref=nf&pnref=story

      Reply
    12. Julie McGee

      March 21, 2016 at 12:28 pm

      I love my Larabars and love them even more after reading about the good they do. I love to garden and want to look more into donating my fresh veggies to feed the hungry close to me. Thank you for sharing!!!

      Reply
    13. Melanie Stanford

      March 21, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      Absolutely love this idea. We're trying to plot our new sprinkler system / yard and most importantly GARDEN out, and I'm hopeful that we grow enough that we can copy your idea. Although I have never known hunger, I did teach high school in an area where many students lived in food deserts and it's something no child should have to face. Kids should worry about playing and who their friends are and maybe finishing a bit of homework, not wonder how they're going to eat their next meal. Thanks for the great idea!

      Reply
    14. Elle

      March 21, 2016 at 9:20 am

      I shared on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/530017449877447181/

      Reply
    15. Elle

      March 21, 2016 at 9:19 am

      Shared on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/530017449877447181/

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    I’M MELISSA, AND I WANT TO HELP YOU FEED YOUR FAMILY WHOLESOME FOOD.

    As a hobby farmer and mom of five, I’m all about keeping it simple in the kitchen. I want healthy meals that feed my family well, and then I want to get back to my (messy) life. Let’s work together to find something yummy for your dinner table.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Perfect and Simple Grilled Fish Fillets
    • Homemade Chicken Nuggets
    • Hot Water Cornbread
    • Chicken Lo Mein
    Dinner Made Easy

    Get Recipes & More for Free!

    Get my FREE Dinner Made Easy meal plan, exclusive recipes, giveaways, and behind-the-scenes updates! Get my newsletter or a new recipe every day! Unsubscribe if you aren’t into it.

    Subscribe Now

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Tools.
    • Terms Of Service.
    • Accessibility.
    • Bylaws.

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Us
    • Cookbook FAQ
    • Find A Recipe!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 blessthismessplease.com. All rights reserved.

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter