Food Support and Healthy Nutrition

Balanced nutrition that includes plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein supports both physical and mental well-being. Along with the foods we eat, it’s also important to have options that meet your budget, lifestyle, and cultural food preferences. While knowing what makes a healthy meal is important, ensuring you have consistent access to affordable, nutritious food is essential.

Fortunately, our community offers a variety of resources to help bridge gaps. Use the resources below to learn about healthy nutrition, food preparation, and local assistance programs.

Healthy Eating

A balanced eating approach includes a variety of nutritious foods. 

  • Eat a variety of foods: Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meat, seafood, eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese. Limit foods that are low in vitamins and minerals. 
  • Focus on plants: Get more plants in your diet by visiting Have a Plant to find easy recipes. Find tips for healthy meals and snacks for healthy eating on the go. Find additional guidance from the CDC.
  • Cut down on sugar: Pick food with little or no added sugar. Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose packaged foods with less total sugar. Find additional guidance from the NIH.
  • Choose healthy fats: Replace saturated fats in your diet with unsaturated fats. Use olive, canola, or other vegetable oils instead of butter, meat fats, or shortening. Find additional guidance from the NIH.
  • Get more fiber: Get fiber in whole grains, beans, and fruits and vegetables for a healthy digestive system. Increase your fiber intake gradually, so your body can get used to it.
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water, or try herbal teas, sparkling water with squeezed lime or a little juice, and try to avoid soda.
  • Watch the salt: Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked, or processed. Choose fresh or frozen vegetables that have no added salt and foods that have less than 5% of the Daily Value of sodium per serving. Rinse canned foods.
  • Learn about supplement safety: Curious about herbal medicines and dietary supplements for health? Learn about supplement effectiveness and safety from MedLinePlus. Check for interactions by using the Medscape Interaction Checker tool.

Create a Food Plan That Works for You

These resources can help you put healthy meals on the table that fit your budget, cultural food preferences, and support local producers.

  • Healthy eating on a budget: Stock up on pantry staples so you only need to buy fresh ingredients, and learn more from MyPlate.
  • Focus on meal prep: Having pantry staples on hand can help streamline your meal prep process. You'll only need to buy fresh ingredients when you shop. To create your list, review the essential food groups from MyPlate, and try the MyPlate Shop Simple app for making healthy, budget-friendly choices at the grocery store.
  • Choose easy recipes: The recipe you choose is a critical step in the meal planning process. Visit Dr. Yum to find fun cooking tips and easy recipes! Find quick 30-minute recipes from MyPlate.
  • Try batch cooking: Cooking large quantities of food at once to eat over a few days can save time. Doubling your recipes can save time on preparation, cooking, and cleanup. You can eat the extra portions as leftovers, freeze them, or use them in other meals.
  • Practice food safety: Find guidance on safe food preparation from the Washington State Department of Health. Keep raw meats and produce separate, always cook poultry to 165°F, and rinse produce before eating.

Support your Microbiome

Taking care of our helpful microbes supports overall health and well-being. 

  • Eat a diet high in fiber: Fiber is found in plants, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Learn more about daily fiber intake from the Cleveland Clinic.
  • Include foods with healthy live cultures: These include yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and other fermented products. Find more probiotic foods from the Cleveland Clinic and these top 5 probiotic foods from the University of Arizona.
  • Limit foods that can hurt your gut microbes: These include sugar and fatty or highly processed foods.
  • Wash your hands: Know when to wash your hands, like when preparing food, before eating, or after handling pets or garbage.

 

Food Assistance Resources

South Whidbey

Coupeville

Oak Harbor

  • SPiN Café in Oak Harbor provides daytime shelter services, along with meals.

Camano Island

County-wide Programs:

  • SNAP Market Match: Shoppers using SNAP/EBT can optimize their budgets by buying more fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.
  • SNAP Food Assistance: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services supplemental nutrition assistance program.