Homeless Nutrition Education: The Importance of Nutrition for Decisions Making and Health

 

What is nutrition and why do we need it?

Nutrition is about having and maintaining a standard and balanced diet on a daily basis. It is necessary to fuel your body and keep it going every day. Having a good diet will provide you with nutrients to maintain your overall health including energy, brain, skin, muscle, bone, immune system, and blood circulation.  

Two main key nutrients that we have in our food are macronutrients and micronutrients. Energy and essential fatty acids are provided by macronutrients and they help to build and repair muscles and tissues. On the other hand, micronutrients provide minerals and vitamins that are essential for various body functions. 

What foods are healthy to eat?

Most scientists suggest having a diet with plant-based ingredients which are essential for optimal health. Following a plant-based diet not only provides various health benefits, but also helps to lower the risk of having chronic illnesses, heart disease, and cancer. There are some of the plant-based foods that contain the biggest nutrients and stand out from most foods. You can add these healthy foods to your diet and it is also good to consume everyday. Berries, leaf greens, nuts, fatty fish, and vegetables are the healthy plant-based foods you can eat everyday.

Here are some tips on how to have a healthy eating:

• Eat more fruit and vegetables: They contain a great amount of vitamins and minerals that are essential for our body. Fruits and vegetables will provide you with fiber that are good for digestion and to maintain a healthy weight. Pick and consume fresh fruit and veggies when in season. You can also choose canned options but with less salt and no sugar.

• Eat more whole grains: Eating whole grains will help with heart health and provide fiber. There are tips to eat more whole grains and will be included below.

• Consume less salt or sodium: Having high blood pressure is a result of eating high sodium food. When you can not find the canned fruit/vegetables that say “low sodium”, try to drain the water in the can or rinse your vegetables with clean water. Try to use the seasonings for your canned food other than salt.

• Consume less sugar: High sugar food will cause severe health problems including obesity and one relating to tooth decay. Avoid eating canned fruit with sugar or syrup. If you can not find canned fruit with "less sugar" or "no sugar", try to rinse off your canned fruit with clean water.

Basic ways to make healthy food without a kitchen

It is hard sometimes to have a healthy diet, and it depends on what you already have or what you are provided in the food stores. There are some basic ways to make your food healthier and taste even better with little preparation and materials that are easy to find. You need to have a food container that is airtight, a can opener, and the essential utensils including folk, spoon, and knife.  

Here are some simple meal prep ideas that you can do without having a kitchen:

Canned beans soup with chicken broth:

• Mix different canned beans together, mix canned vegetables and chicken to make a soup.

• Add lemon juice, canned corn, tomatoes, and onions. 

• Mix them with the soup and enjoy with corn tortilla or whole bread.

Canned vegetable salad:

• Mix canned beans, corn, and peas together.

• Add a small amount of light salad dressing and enjoy the healthy salad.

• Optional: Add green onion and parsley.

For more healthy meal preps, visit this site: Homeless Nutrition Education Toolkit

Resource: Congressional Hunger Center