DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. -- The Salvation Army has launched a First Annual National Healthy Eating Food Drive on March 15 with the American Dietetic Association, eDiets.com, Inc. in honor of March National Nutrition Month®, a nutrition information campaign sponsored annually by eDiets.com, Inc.
The national food drive will run until March 31, advocating increased dietary awareness and encouraging 13 million health conscious consumers to donate healthy foods which will be collected and distributed by Salvation Army locations nationwide.
According to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures available, 11.1 percent of all U.S. households were "food insecure" in 2002 because of lack of resources.
"Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concludes that obesity is on track to become the nation's number one killer," said David Humble, CEO of eDiets.com. "The government's recently launched obesity awareness campaign is a good step in the right direction, but it's not enough. We in the commercial and non-profit sectors must do our part, and this healthy eating
"We're proud to arrange this healthy eating food drive in partnership with The Salvation Army to provide nutritious food to families that need assistance," said Susan Burke, vice president of nutrition services at eDiets.com. "Generosity combined with sensible food selections should go a long way towards truly benefiting a lot of deserving individuals, families and children. We're more than pleased to be in a position to contribute in such a significant way."
Healthy foods suggested for donation include: canned and bottled soups; canned and packaged fruits and vegetables; beans; canned meat and fish; canned and bottled fruit juices; boxed dry goods including pasta and cereals; dressings and condiments; snacks and jarred baby food.
