Research & Practice

Strategies for Healthier and Culturally Relevant Food at King County Food Banks

The food bank and emergency food system in the United States requires rethinking. Northwest Harvest, a food bank distributor and anti-hunger organization in King County is transforming emergency food by moving away from a charity model to a social justice model. One of the ways this organization is moving to a social justice model is by providing healthier, lower sodium and more culturally relevant food and support.

Objectives of this project included:

  • Creating a buying guide to help make food bank leads and procurement directors more nutrition savvy shoppers.
  • Demonstrating an understanding of the importance of cultural humility and anti-racism at an anti-hunger organization.
  • Developing picture-based recipes to be used by food bank clients of all language and literacy backgrounds
  • Designing donor material templates that highlight culturally relevant food.

Materials Available


Project Type(s): MPH Practicum, PH Concentration Poster

Author(s): Divya Pahwa

Program(s): Master of Public Health, RDN Training

Year: 2020

Adviser(s):