Food Banks Need Your Help More Than Ever
The "GMA" $15 Dinner Dare is also about helping stock nation's food banks.
April 20, 2009 — -- The "GMA" $15 Dinner Dare series is about more than celebrity chefs preparing delicious food at a reasonable price. It's also about highlighting food banks across the nation that need your help.
Feeding America has joined "GMA" in its Dinner Dare to show just how great the need for food donation is. Feeding America supplies food to 206 food banks in the U.S., including Guam and Puerto Rico.
Click here to learn more about Feeding America and check out the links below for a list of A&P family supermarkets which are donating 10,000 cans for tuna to the food banks of New York.
www.aptea.com
www.pathmark.com
www.apsupermarket.com
Top Foods Needed By Food Banks
More than 32 million Americans are on food stamps right now, a new record. The nation's biggest food bank network, Feeding America, says the demand for their help is 30 percent higher than it was last year. Here are the items food banks need the most.
Proteins. Canned meats such as tuna, chicken or fish are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Peanut butter is rich in protein and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, the "good fats." These are among the most expensive foods -- too expensive for food banks to buy in large quantities.
Soups and stews. They are filling, particularly the "chunky" soups, and contain liquid for hydration. In addition, soups can be filled with protein and vegetables.
Rice and pasta. In addition, grain-based foods, such as pasta, are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Cereal, including oatmeal. Breakfast cereals can be an additional source of protein, and most cereals today include a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Canned vegetables, including tomatoes and tomato sauce. Studies indicate that canned vegetables have about the same nutritional value as fresh vegetables.
Canned or dried beans and peas. A staple of diets as early as 6700 B.C., beans are a low-fat source of protein and fiber.
Canned fruits. Only a small amount of vitamin C is lost in the canning process, making these a healthy choice.
Fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed). Make sure it's 100 percent juice.
Prepared Box Mixes such as macaroni and cheese or Hamburger Helper.
Shelf-Stable Milk. This includes dehydrated milk, canned evaporated milk and instant
What kind of a meal can you make on a $15 food budget?
It may sound like dinner impossible, but all this week on "Good Morning America's" Diane, Robin, Chris and Sam are challenging some of the world's top chefs to tackle this feat beginning withMario Batali Monday.
As part of "GMA's" $15 Dinner Dare series, each day an anchor will unveil a list of secret ingredients. Then the cook will have to prepare a tempting meal live on-air with the newly unveiled ingredients.
It's sure to be a can't-miss battle of the budgets. Diane Sawyer challenges chef Mario Batali Monday. Tune in daily to find out what chef will face the challenge and what mystery foods the anchors will unveil.
Some are sure to surprise you.
