Mailbag: Volunteers are needed at Laguna Food Pantry

At the Laguna Food Pantry, volunteer drivers have for years been picking up more than 10,000 pounds of food weekly from our generous friends at Pavilions, Whole Foods, and two Trader Joe’s markets. Recently, Ralph’s and Gelson’s offered us their surplus foods, as well, which is the reason for this letter.

With up to 40 deliveries each week, we’re looking for more strong-backed, early-rising men and women with SUVs or pickups.

If you would like to help us provide groceries to hundreds of low-income families struggling to make ends meet, call us at (949) 497-7121 any weekday morning.

Andy Siegenfeld
Laguna Food Pantry

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It’s OK, you don’t have to finish all your food

I don’t believe label changes will make significant differences in our obesity rates. Eating less sugar or more kale is not the surefire solution to manage obesity. Obesity is a complicated issue. But I, and many of my colleagues, believe that a large part of why America is obese is because people eat when they are not hungry and don’t stop when they are full.

If you are accustomed to finishing your entire plate of food when you start listening to your body, this may mean half the food you took or ordered is left on the plate. After years of being part of the clean-plate club, leaving food may be difficult to do, but I urge you to tune into your body and try it.

And making a child take three more bites of chicken because he or she is 3 years old is force-feeding and something parents should avoid at all costs. Force-feeding can set kids up for a lifetime struggle with food that a food label detailing added sugars is not going to solve.

Melanie R. Silverman
Pediatric Registered Dietitian
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant