With the current events, there’s a lot of talk about folks not getting their SNAP benefits and going hungry. I’ve seen a lot of back and forth online, finger pointing and “get a job” type quotes but I’ve also seen several people posting recipes and “struggle meals” ideas and offers to help.
I love seeing humans being humane. Regardless of political or philosophical differences, being united in caring for each other through a crisis situation is always going to be beautiful to me. Just like during the recent events with the typhoon hitting western Alaska. Reach out a helping hand and stand alongside our Alaskan brothers and sisters during their time of need.
Now we can talk at length regarding the source of the crisis at another time, but suffice to say that if someone is expecting to have food assistance and then not having it abruptly can be and is a crisis in the moment. Let’s get through this one and then make sure we don’t have a repeat.
As a kid we had plenty of feast/famine cycles in our family life. When times were good we ate normal food, maybe even got to eat out occasionally but also when times were lean we had plenty of struggle meals. Ramen noodles, hotdogs, often served up beinie-weinie style, spaghetti, *gag* goulash, hamburger/tuna helper types, salmon patties (from that nasty pink salmon in a can! 😧) eating bread cereal, grilled cheese with canned tomato soup, bologna sandwiches, oatmeal and cornmeal mush.
I remember buying food with old fashioned food stamps, that were actually individual tear-out style in a booklet with a fixed dollar amount printed on them. You used to get change when you didn’t spend the entire amount! (Way back in the day!), but there were limits as to what you could use them for, a novel idea.
I think that I might even qualify for SNAP assistance now, or during the winter months at least, but I haven’t actually tried. I’ve benefitted from the WIC program when I had eligible children. I’m not a stranger to needing and using food assistance when necessary. But like any assistance program I shy away simply because I loath the paperwork and feel like there is always someone in worse shape than myself that could use the help more. I don’t begrudge someone getting the help they need. And I don’t go around judging folks for finding themselves in such a position. But I do want to encourage folks to try and achieve food security. And if you don’t know what that is or don’t think you can do it I’d like to help you figure it out!
Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Growing up I also had the benefit of having grandparents and Aunties who believed in having a fully stocked pantry. Both with home preserved and store bought staples. Shelves full of colorful home canned tomatoes, green beans, pickles and beets plus buckets of flour, sugar, beans and rice. And of course a full freezer accompanied the pantry, with meat and garden produce galore. This was and still is normal for me. Obviously all these items purchased at once would be cost prohibitive, but starting small and working your way up during sales and deep discounts (think end of season or bountiful garden harvest) and you can have a full pantry before you know it.
For the current crisis situation, in our own area we have a couple of those little mini food pantries that good hearted folks share food with whomever needs it. There’s one across from the Borough Building in the school parking lot, and one outside of the Pentecostal church on the Spur highway. We also have local churches offering free meals, the Methodist church on Binkley street does once a week on Wednesday I believe, as well as the one in Kenai. We also have the local Food Bank on K- beach that supplies once a month food assistance and the Fireweed diner serves lunch daily for anyone M-F, I believe it’s suggested donation as you can, and there also Love, INC a little farther down the road that serves as a Clearinghouse to local churches and charities.
Social media offers groups where you can reach out with requests for food or other needs and our community is usually pretty helpful. Asking your friends and family for help may not be easy but sometimes it’s necessary. My Grandma always taught me to offer something of my own in return, time and effort usually.
Besides getting stocked up on food staples, as one can afford to do, knowing how to prepare these foods is also needed. Adding strange or different foods to your diet when it’s not your choice isn’t easy, especially for kids or adults who haven’t developed a broad spectrum of their taste buds. But you can do it! Pick a new food to try and make it a few different ways. Don’t care for beans? What about mashed, refried, and served as a Mexican style side dish? Or add some seasonings and make it a bean dip. Instead of a pot of only beans toss a handful of soaked beans into a pot of slow simmered soup. Soup is probably the best and easiest way to stretch your food dollar. Vegetable beef soup (with ground beef) is fairly inexpensive!
We also invested in a pressure canner years ago, and have bought jars to meet our storage needs. Over the years I’ve paid retail, on sale, thrift and second hand, I’ve had some jars given to me and traded for others. Cost can be a factor but it doesn’t have to be prohibitive. Start small and work your way up. Also, find a friend who cans and learn how to, ask if you can use their equipment, you’ll never know if you don’t ask. Also don’t forget that we have the Cooperative Extension office on K- beach which has canning safety information available free for the asking.
Start small, using things you know you like. If you’re making beans and you’re not used to eating them, be sure you rinse and soak them well, cook them thoroughly adding flavorful cuts of meat to help your palate be receptive! This is where you buy one package of smoked or cured meat and use it as a seasoning instead of the main dish. A little goes a long way! And if you’re eating beans or lentils have a side of rice to go with them, it provides a more rounded protein profile and improves taste & texture for many. Think Red Beans & Rice! Or Hopping John, oops, I’m letting a little Southern show. Speaking of southern, what about some grits and greens, the original struggle meal?? Lordy mercy I’m getting hungry now.
Use spices abundantly! Now spices can be expensive but I’ve found the staple pantry spices fairly inexpensive at the Kenai Walmart. Garlic, pepper, onion powder, parsley, cayenne, etc can be had very inexpensively. Salt and healthy fats are your friend when it comes to taste! Butter on sale (I won’t buy it at full price!) is a great addition to the diet. Sometimes it’s worth “splurging” on a healthier choice like butter or olive oil instead of canola oil. Find a friend and split the cost of a bottle, divide into separate containers and now you’ve learned how to divide and conquer! Buy whatever you can tho, there’s no judgement.
Knowing what foods are good “fillers” and will help you and your kiddos feel full are important. Things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains like brown rice are great additions to a meager diet. Foods high in fiber are what keeps us feeling satisfied for longer. Fiber is in the peel and bran of food items, if you’re only eating white rice or russet potatoes you’re missing out on nutrients and feeling full longer. If you like apples make sure to eat the peel!
Frozen vegetables, especially when on sale, are usually a good way to boost your veggie intake. I try to keep broccoli, cauliflower and a few others in the freezer so I always have something available. Canned corn, green beans and peas are easy as well. Buying these when on sale is always the best way.
Shopping local stores “clearance” items is the way we make our grocery budget stretch. Early morning hours are the best for finding the widest selection. Meat markdowns, bakery, vegetable and miscellaneous markdowns are usually abundant at Fred Meyers early in the day. (Definitely do not count on this during tourist and fishing season. 🙄) For my family, buying sweets or dessert items is a rarity, but this is the way we do it. I prefer locally baked items to package shelf stable items for my kids to have a sweet treat (think less preservatives). So the occasional bakery donut or cookies are a well deserved addition to their diet.
Being able and willing to fish during dipnet season is a great way to start filling your pantry. If you haven’t done so yet, I highly recommend it. Also regular old pole fishing is fine too if you have the time and skills. Learn how to hunt, we have ample spruce hens & rabbits locally for those who enjoy wild game besides moose. If you’re capable of retrieving a moose you can sign up for the animal salvage program with the state of Alaska and get called for pickup when one becomes available and you’re next on the list. Can’t do it alone? Team up with a friend. Even roadkill moose have plenty of salvageable meat left, these animals are huge. Not all of the animals offered in the program are roadkill. Other animals are those surrendered due to illegal hunting, animals becoming dependent on humans, over harvest limit, etc. Have a friend that hunts? Offer to help them pack out their animal and process it in exchange for some of the meat. This is the Alaskan way. Put in some sweat equity!
Once you’ve figured out a way to harvest abundant game, forage for berries or growing garden produce then you’re going to be freezing, smoking, drying, canning, etc to preserve it. All of these skills can be learned and there are many local folks who would love to pass on the knowledge.
Building your own pantry at home doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. If you don’t have a physical pantry in your kitchen think outside the box. Is there room for a small wardrobe type cabinet or even open shelves in or near your kitchen? If not, what about under bed storage? An unused corner in a living room or even bedroom, under the stairs, in a coat closet, someplace that can serve as a safe place to keep your food storage. I do have a pantry in my kitchen but I also have shelves scattered around in various locations to keep my salmon and other canned and dry goods.
In the short term, there are several options for folks needing food right now, some of which I’ve mentioned. I’m sure there are others that I’m not aware of, feel free to share in the comments. I hope that if you find yourself in need that you find the resolve and resources you need to get through this crisis and that you’ll go on to build your own food security reserve for the future! It’s not necessarily easy nor is it free but with determination and a steady budget you can be food secure, even when things are super tight!
If you’re blessed and not in a position of need right now I hope that you can help others as you’re so led to do and be a blessing in our community. It will be a worthy investment.
#alaska #foodsecurity #pantry#snap
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