Category: Food Security

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Faculty and Staff: Share your SNAP Story

grocery isle and text reading faculty and staff, share your snap story with a logo for the SNAP program

Beavers know how to work hard – how to get out there and dig in to accomplish big things.

But a growling stomach is distracting and bound to slow down even the best students.

So many OSU students struggle to pay tuition each term – and sometimes having enough money for groceries is a stretch on a student’s budget and a major stressor.

Food insecurity and struggling to make ends meet while in college – these things aren’t new. Many faculty and staff on campus today relied on food pantries or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (colloquially known as food stamps) to get through their years spent on campus.

Even though so many people rely on SNAP and similar programs, stigma and shame can really prevent today’s students from seeking help.

Did SNAP help you? Share your SNAP Story.

Learning that the faculty and staff they respect and admire needed SNAP to get through college can really help students see that they’re not alone, that college is hard for many people – and that it’s ok to ask for help.

 

Sharing your SNAP story is easy – you can email us to get started or, if you’re feeling inspired and want to jump right in, write a few paragraphs sharing your experience, how SNAP (and perhaps other programs) helped you, and related “things I wish I’d known then.” Keep the tone casual and conversational. If you have any photos of yourself from that era, we’d love to include them too. Send us your SNAP story (email HSRC@oregonstate.edu) and we’ll help you share your story both on the HSRC blog, but also help get it out to students who really need to read it. We’ll do some minor edits for clarity and add some text about how students can get support with a SNAP application, but mostly we’ll leave your words as you wrote them. After we post your story, we’d love to work with you to help share your SNAP story with HSRC students – and those you may have worked with too.

SNAP stigma is real and we don’t think it’ll dissolve quickly- so we’ll be looking for SNAP stories for years to come. Graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni – if you’ve got a SNAP story, it can really make a difference to students to read.

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Get To Know Our Staff!

Name: Anne

Pronouns: she/her/hers

HSRC Job Title: SNAP Outreach Liaison

Major/minor: I’m majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in Food and Culture in Social Justice.

Career Aspirations: There are so many things! Eventually I’d like to pursue a Masters and PhD, and hopefully end up teaching in higher-ed. I’ve always loved teaching and education, and in the meantime, would also love to pursue my passions for food justice and local sustainability through grassroots and non-profit work, in whatever form that might take.

Why did you want to work at the HSRC?: I really wanted to find a place where I could make a real, tangible difference in the world, and try to make it better. The HSRC’s values of abundance and focus on putting students first really stood out to me; the way that students take ownership of the programs and events at the HSRC is really amazing. I love being able to come to a work space and be surrounded by individuals who are committed to pushing back against poverty, racism, sexism, capitalism, and other injustices that are so prevalent in our society.

What will you be working on? I will be working on developing the SNAP Ambassador program, which will aim to get students talking to each other about SNAP benefits, tearing down the stigma surrounding government assistance and educating their peers on what the college student experience might look like for under-resourced students. In addition to that, I will be doing outreach to students we believe might be eligible for SNAP benefits as reported by our Food Assistance Application.

What do you like to do in your free time? I love to read! It’s one of my favorite past-times- when I was in grade school I actually got in trouble for trying to sneakily read under my desk while the teacher was talking. I find myself incredibly busy during the school year, and often unable to do this, but when I have time, I really love cooking more elaborate and complex meals. There’s something really meditative to me about the process of putting together a meal. Even better is when I get to share what I’ve made with others!

What’s your favorite yummy and cheap meal that you like to make?: Fried rice! I almost always have the essentials (in my opinion): eggs, rice, and soy sauce.  After that, if I have any veggies I’ll chop those up and throw ’em in! This is especially good for the veg on its last leg, like when the carrots get a little less crunchy and more bendy, or the bell peppers start to wrinkle. You can make a  bunch in one go if your pan’s big enough, and then have lunch prepped for the whole week. I’ll add different sauces like Sriracha, sweet and sour, General Tso’s, or teriyaki to mix it up throughout the week and keep from getting bored of eating the same thing. If I want a little extra protein, I’ll fry up an egg over medium to put on top, or mix in some cubed tofu.

Do you have any tips for students on how to save money? I love coffee, and especially during the most stressful, busy times of the term, find myself wanting multiple cups per day, but not able to go home to make them. Even if you just get drip coffee, 3 of those in a day equals like $6, which adds up if you do that multiple days in a row! I’ll take a reusable mug and bring in some powdered instant coffee (I think the Trader Joe’s brand is way tastier than Nescafe, though of course straight from the bean is best!) Cafe’s around campus will fill up your mug with hot water, then you can add in your own instant coffee, and add milk and sugar as you like it!

What are you favorite things to do in Corvallis? I love dancing, so almost every week while school is in you can find me doing West Coast Swing at the Women’s Building Wednesday nights.  The monthly event Rainbow in the Clouds (21 over, sorry 😉 ) is also one of my favorite things in Corvallis.

Where is your favorite spot to relax on campus? I love setting up a hammock between two shady trees when the weather is nice. In the winter the MU common space is always a favorite. It has a really cozy atmosphere, especially when they have the fires going!

Which building on campus would you haunt and why if you were a ghost? I’d like to haunt LINC. People expect the older buildings on campus to be haunted, like Waldo, or the Women’s Building, but no one would see it coming from a new one! That building already has occasional tech problems; I’d be happy to contribute to those as a ghost!

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Differences between ‘use by’ ‘best by’ and ‘sell by’ dates

Have you ever found something in the back of your pantry and seen that the best by date was just one week ago and you’re not exactly sure if you should still eat it? Well here are definitions by the USDA as to what those confusing ‘use by,’ ‘sell by,’ and ‘best buy’ dates mean and hopefully this will help you the next time you find yourself confused as to whether you should toss something out or still safely consume it.

  • Best if used by/before: not a purchase or safety date. Indicates when the product will be at best quality and taste. You can still safely eat the product once this date passes.
  • Sell by: Not a safety date. This just tells the store how long to display the product for inventory management.
  • Use by: Not a safety date. (unless its baby formula then it is a safety date) This states the last day that the product will be at best quality and taste.

It is up to you, the consumer, if you want to eat the product once it is past the best by or use by date, but  just know that it could still taste perfectly normal once the date passes. And it is safe to eat also since these are not safety dates (unless you see mold, or it has a bad odor).

If you want to read further information about the process and requirements of food dates, take a look at the USDA website that is linked right below!

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating

 

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Can Food Insecurity Impact Your Health?

by Linh Ho, HSRC Intern

For low-income individuals and households, health issues and food insecurity are things that tend to go hand in hand. Food insecurity can be generally defined as “the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources” (Healthy People 2020). If you’re skipping meals regularly, or eating less than you might normally eat because there’s not enough money or not enough food in the house, it’s very possible that you fall into the category of being food insecure. Food insecurity comes with a potential for many health problems, and has been strongly correlated with negative health outcomes for both adults and children alike.

When people aren’t access fresh and nutritious food, their quality of life and health can take a serious turn for the worst. Unfortunately, fresh and nutritious foods can be much more expensive than foods that we often consider to be unhealthy, like junk food or fast/convenient foods. Food insecure individuals also tend to have to face the dilemma of having to decide what their income will be going towards each month. For many people, it becomes a competition between food and housing costs, food and school costs, food and medical costs — the list goes on (Feeding America).

So, what usually happens is that food insecure people will go with the cheaper, less nutritious food option because it means they will be able to pay for their other costs of living. However, although cheaper, junk and fast foods when consumed too regularly can lead to chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Or, the opposite might occur and people will end up spending most if not all of their money to feed themselves and their families, especially if they have children. In that case, then they will likely forgo other important but not “urgent” medical expenses, such as doctor’s appointments, health insurance, and even prescription medication. Either way, having to choose between one or the other may have pretty negative consequences for physical health.

In addition, this chronic stress and worry over whether or not you will be able to afford food, housing, school, or other basic life needs takes a toll a person’s mental health as well. Research conducted by Dr. Andrew D. Jones at the University of Michigan found a causal association between food insecurity status and poor mental health (Science Daily). This is likely because being food insecure can cause feelings of stress, alienation, shame, and guilt often associated with anxiety and depression. Having to find and use alternative methods of obtaining food can also come with social stigma that can create feelings of inadequacy or embarrassment.

All in all, food insecurity and health can because of a vicious circle of not so great consequences. The thing is, your health absolutely does not have to suffer, just because you’re in a tight spot with money. There are so many choices, especially as a student here at OSU.

If you’re struggling with affording food, consider one of the following options:

  • Stop by Avery Lodge for one of our Shopping Style Food Pantry events for canned and dry goods, produce, and even butter and eggs!
  • Come to the HSRC during business hours (and non-Food Pantry event days) for an emergency food box and we’ll try to meet your needs.
  • Consider applying for SNAP benefits to help pay for groceries each month.
  • Stop by the HSRC if you have questions or to see how we might be able to help you further!
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Gettin’ to know the Garden

by Anne Snell

Did you know the HSRC has a garden? That’s right! Just to the East of the building are 7 rows of soil,  and two raised beds. (Or, if you’re directionally challenged like me, the side with the 30-minute parking spots.) There is also a mini orchard which includes dwarf-sized fruit trees like fig, apple, pear, and persimmon. The garden began in the 2016-2017 school year as part of the Growing Food Security Initiative between the HSRC and the Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI).

Two of the garden beds, growing baby kale and pepper plants

If it doesn’t look like much now, it’s because this will actually be the garden’s first year producing a full season of crops!  It takes time for well-producing gardens to form. The Organic Growers Club grew the starts from seed to help us save money. This also helps make sure we get the varieties people want to eat.  The soil conditions are constantly improving, so in a few years, they will be even more nutrient rich than they are now. More nutrients in the soil means more produce!

Colorful Swiss Chard is almost ready to harvest!

This year the garden, which is mostly managed by the SSI, is growing vegetables like Swiss chard, tomatoes, kale, tomatillos, bell peppers, carrots, beets, squash, and garlic. Everything grown in the garden is harvested directly for the HSRC’s Shopping Style Food Pantry nights or Fresh Food Friday. Production is slow right now, but come summer, and into the fall, we will have vegetables galore!

The apples aren’t quite ripe yet, but they will be soon!

 

 

The HSRC Community  Garden isn’t just for  providing fresh produce to the food pantry. It is also a learning environment, where students can get their hands dirty and help grow the food harvested from the garden. In the future we hope students can engaged in the process of growing food, both so they can give back to their community, but also so they can learn the skills required to grow your own food for themselves. The community garden we have is small, and still very young, but growin’ strong!

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Recipe spotlight: Egg Fried Rice

Here is a quick fried rice recipe that uses leftovers and pantry staples to create a delicious snack or meal!

Serving size: 4-6 people as a main dish, 6-8 people as a side dish

Ingredients for Egg Fried Rice

  • 4 cups cooked rice – day old is best
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1-2 cups vegetables chopped (fresh, frozen, or canned are fine – just drain excess liquid)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce (more or less to taste)
  • 4 eggs (1-2 eggs per person)
  • ½-1 Tablespoon of garlic powder(more or less to taste)
  • ½-1 Tablespoon of black pepper (more or less to taste)
  • ½-1 Tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder (more or less to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp optional seasoning/toppings


Notes from the author:
I used brown rice, half of a large onion, two carrots, and four butter pats repurposed from various event leftovers. The dry seasonings are optional and could be replaced or combined with cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, mushroom powder, or omitted as desired.  If you want to add meat, fish, or vegetarian protein substitutes, factor in about half to one cup of protein. Note that if you add raw meat or fish, you should chop, cook, and season with salt and pepper before you add the vegetables, rice, etc. Finally, I used sweet chili sauce as an optional topping, but chopped green onions or toasted sesame seeds are also tasty options. 

Instructions for Egg Fried Rice

  • Preheat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add oil of choice.
  • Chop vegetables as needed
chopped onions and carrots
  • Note that you can save vegetable scraps and make vegetable broth
  • Add veggies and dry seasonings to the pan and cook until tender
chopped vegetables in skillet
  • Push the vegetables to the side, and crack the eggs onto the other side.
scramble eggs on one side of skillet
  • Scramble the eggs and then mix eggs and veggies together
  • Add the rice to the veggie and egg mixture 2 cups at a time.
add rice in portions

  • Pour the soy sauce on top.
add soy sauce slowly to fried rice
  • Stir and mix rice until warm
  • Serve with desired toppings
serve fried rice and enjoy warm

 

If you have any leftovers, they’ll last about 1-2 days in the fridge, depending on the age of the leftover rice

Article by Bion Hawkmorr, HSRC Events & Programming Coordinator 2017-2018

Photo credit: Bion Hawkmorr 2018

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HSRC PRESENTS: COOKING CLASSES!

 

Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In an ideal world, healthy and delicious food would be all around and easily accessible to everyone. But we all know that it is not a perfect world and there are several barriers keeping us from eating nourishing food. Money and time should not be among the reasons. As college students with very busy schedules and not a whole lot of money, making delicious and healthy meals can be challenging.If you can gain a few more kitchen skills, you can be creative with the ingredients available to you and make some healthy and fun meals.

The cooking classes this Spring at the HSRC are FREE and focused on empowering the participants with basic cooking skills. The recipes that will be used are easy, cheap and quick, because yes, we always have tons of homework and deadlines to beat, but of course we need to eat healthy yummy food too!

Rice Every Which Way- April 17th, 5-7pm.

Versatile ingredients save meals time and money! Rice is definitely one of them. Boiled rice on its own is not very difficult to make, but it can be pretty bland and definitely get old. In this class we will be playing around with herbs, spices and vegetables (more vegetables=more flavor) to make rice healthy, tasty and fun. The other amazing thing about rice is that you can make a lot of it over the weekend and make different meals from it, all week long to save a lot of time. Rice is one of those staples that you can have for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ramen Revamped-May 3rd, 5-7pm. 

We have all lived off one too many Ramen bowls at one point in our lives. They are quick and easy, and don’t require any cooking skill but most of all they are cheap! while we have certainly come to accept Ramen as part of ‘the college experience,’ we can have fun making it  healthier, tasty and more nourishing.

 

Knead Bread?  May 15th, 5-7pm.

When you consider the simple ingredients that form the foundation of all breads—flour, yeast, salt and water—it’s truly remarkable how many varied products can be made from it. Bread baking can often seem very intimidating and complicated. This class will be focused on stove top breads, which can be an easier and cheaper alternative.We want to empower you to feed yourself, and take your baking skills to the next level!

 

 

Cheap and Gourmet- May 31st, 5-7pm.

Good and cheap! Eating healthy and tasty food while on a budget can be a real hustle. This class is designed to explore ways you can create an amazing meal with simple affordable ingredients. Improvisation is the soul of great cooking! Our hope is after this class you will be able to tailor things to your taste and preference all while on a budget!

Registration is recommended not required. Click here to sign up!  The classes will be held at Avery Lodge.  

We are looking forward to cooking with you!

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Save Money on Groceries!

by Linh Ho, HSRC Intern

Have you ever gone to the grocery store and then walked out 30 minutes later, with over $50 now missing from your bank account and only one bag of groceries to show for it? How does that even happen?

Grocery stores can be expensive, and even the little things can really start to add up. As college students here in Beaver Nation, many of us are already struggling to pay student bills and pay the crazy high rent that Corvallis is becoming notable for, so having enough money to pay for groceries as well can be stressful.

Fear not! There are plenty of ways to ensure that you won’t have to choose between paying for rent or paying for next week’s food.

Before the Store…

  • Check to see what’s in your pantry before shopping.
  • Skim the weekly grocery ads and plan your meals around what’s on sale. Try using multiple sale ingredients for multiple meals!
  • Coupons are our friends! Don’t fight me on this…
  • Make a list of exactly what items you need and strictly stick to it.

In the Store…

  • Carry cash and only use what you have on hand.
  • Use a basket instead of a cart. This will deter you from grabbing unneeded items that will make your basket heavier and harder to carry.
  • Don’t be afraid of generic store brand versions — more often than not, they are exactly the same as the name-brand, and cheaper!
  • Look around or ask about Manager’s Specials, especially for meat or bakery items. These are items that are close to expiring and marked down significantly.
  • Don’t overlook canned fruits and vegetables! They have long shelf lives and can be very versatile and a quick healthy addition to a meal.
  • Ramen can be an awesome meal if you just get creative!
  • Skip pre-washed salads and pre-sliced fruits or cheeses — you can just do it yourself and save some money!
  • Buy seasonal produce. Produce that is in-season is generally much cheaper.
  • Shop from the bulk food bins. This way you’re only paying for what you need, and there will be less food to be wasted! WinCo has a great and affordable bulk foods section, especially for spices and grains.
  • Bring your own reusable grocery bags. Corvallis banned plastic bags in 2012, and you’ll get charged for each paper bag you use at the grocery stores now. Just bring your own and maybe even get a discount for each one you bring at certain stores.
  • Consider signing up to be a member at your favorite grocery store. Lots of stores have special pricing for their members, and point systems that you can trade in for free stuff or discounts — and it’s usually free!

Other tips….

  • If possible, a more plant-based diet might be a good way to save money, since meat can be especially expensive. Try starting out with one meat-free meal a day!
  • If there are sales on certain fresh food items, try stocking up and freezing what you can’t eat right away.
    • Most meat, poultry, and seafood freeze well.
    • You can also freeze fruits before they go bad, or freeze fruits that might not always be in season. You can use them for smoothies, oatmeal, and more!
    • Frozen vegetables are great to have on hand for an easy side dish or quick stir-fry.
    • You can also freeze breads, soups and broths, sauces, herbs, and even cheese! The list goes on….!

You might also be eligible to utilize the HSRC Food Pantry during one of our events each month and pick up some items that might already be on your shopping list.

SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (better known as food stamps) is also a great way to help alleviate some strain on groceries each month. Consider applying!

 

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Breakfast with a tinge of color

We wanted to bring to you some delicious, quick and simple recipes that can be made with little cost. A bonus is that many of the ingredients used for these recipes can be found at the Oregon State University, Human Service Resource Center food pantry. We decided to play with color and make blue cornbread and vegetable scrambled eggs

To make our cornbread, we chose to use blue cornmeal. This ingredient, one of the lesser grabbed items at the food pantry, served to give our cornbread an interesting blue tinge! To pair with the cornbread, we decided to make some scrambled eggs. As students we usually have a hectic morning, rushing to make a quick breakfast of just eggs. Scrambled eggs with veggies, is a                delicious and healthier alternative to your regular plain ol’ scramble.  

We began with making cornbread, the ingredients included:

Download a PDF of this recipe:  Blue Corn Cornbread – Fifteen Spatulas

  • ¾ cup of butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 3 regular eggs
  • 1.5 cups milk                                           
  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 cup of blue corn meal
  • 4.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

As you prepare your ingredients, preheat the oven to 400℉.

To prepare the ingredients you will need 3 bowls.

In the first bowl  mix together butter and sugar. Do not worry if you didn’t have enough time to let your butter melt to room temperature. We decided to heat it in the microwave until partially melted.

In the second bowl mix together your eggs and milk.

In the third bowl sift together your flour, blue cornmeal, baking soda and salt.

Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the sugar/butter mix in the first bowl, then add ½ of the egg/milk mixture. Mix this until all ingredients are absorbed.

   

Repeat this step until the remaining flour mixture and egg/milk mixture are added into the first bowl.

* We did not have an electric mixer, however a fork or whisk were able to serve the same purpose. We do recommend using an electric mixer, as it was quite exhausting trying to mix the ingredients with a fork.

Grease the pan with butter, or pam (if you already have it).

Once mixed, pour the cornbread mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Or any large pan you have available.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. To check that it is cooked stick a toothpick or fork through the middle. If the fork comes out clean, then it is cooked all the way through

Once it’s ready, let it cool off.  We couldn’t wait to eat it, and found out that while still hot it could be quite crumbly.

-This recipe was adapted from Blue Corn Cornbread by Joanne Ozuq at 15spatulas.com

We then prepared the egg recipe: 

Download a PDF of this recipe: Colorful Scrambled Eggs

  • 8 regular eggs
  • 1 large green pepper
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 large onion
  • Pepper (to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Start by cubing your tomatoes, onions and green pepper. Then mix in a bowl.

 

Break the eggs in a separate bowl and add 1 cup of milk.

 

*We later found out that 1 cup was too much and recommend using ½ a cup.

Mix the eggs and milk, then pour the mixture into the vegetable bowl.

Add salt and pepper to taste into the mixture.

Heat a large pan and add vegetable oil.

*We did not have a specific temperature to heat it to, so we started on low and gradually increased it.

Once hot, add mixture and scramble with a spatula until ready.

  

 

Here’s a picture of the delicious, complete product!

 

_____________________________________________________________________

Final thoughts from Fatuma and Nikita, two Spring 2018 volunteers:

Volunteering with the food pantry started as a great way to earn service learning hours for a class, but it turned into an eye opening experience. We were able to learn how the food pantry functions, and the great ways it has impacted food insecurity in our community. We were excited for this blogging opportunity to not only expand our knowledge about how the food pantry items may be used, but also share our experience making some interesting recipes. In the future, we look forward to opportunities to experiment with food products we might have overlooked in the past and encourage others to experiment themselves!

 

 

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Recipe spotlight: Mashed Potato Flakes

A multi-purpose pantry & recipe ingredient – try mashed potato flakes today!

Mashed potato flakes are one of the few food items that get passed by on food pantry days. Here are some recipes and suggestions about how to use mashed potato flakes beyond just making average mashed potatoes.

Here are two simple ways to use mashed potato flakes in their fresh-out-of-the-bag state.

    • Cornstarch, tapioca starch, or xanthan gum replacement.

Use 1 tablespoon of mashed potato flakes per 1 cup of liquid. You can add it directly to your soup or gravy without the need of a slurry (mixing it with water is a necessary step for cornstarch or flour). Stir, let thicken, add more as needed.

      • Breading.
        Pour ½ cup to 1 cup of mashed potato flakes onto a plate. Add salt, pepper, and seasonings to taste. Press fish (or other food items) into flakes on both sides. Bake, deep fry, or pan fry as desired.

The following recipes involve using mashed potatoes. Prepare mashed potato flakes with water, milk, butter, etc. to mimic desired mashed potatoes used in the recipe.

Click the links below for the recipes. (photos are from the linked recipes)

      • Croquettes.
        An easily made snack consisting of egg, mashed potato, and whatever fillings you might desire. 

      • Gnocchi.
        Tasty Italian potato pasta. A nice change from instant ramen. 
      • Aligot.
        Creamy cheese-filled mashed potatoes, French-style. 

Mashed potato flakes are part of the grains section of the food pantry. If you’re tired of rice, pasta, or cereal, consider trying mashed potato flakes instead!

 

Article by Bion Hawkmorr, HSRC Events & Programming Coordinator 2017-2018