I didn’t know about this event until this afternoon (after it had already gone live), but I still wanted to participate by sharing a post devoted to hunger.

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the documentary, A Place at the Table (which can be viewed in your city or on demand at iTunes), and shared some unsettling statistics, such as:

48.8 million Americans—including 16.2 million children—live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. As a result, they struggle with hunger at some time during the year.
Food insecurity—the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food—exists in 17.2 million households in America, 3.9 million of them with children.
25% of households with children living in large cities are food insecure.
59% of food-insecure households reported that in the previous month they had participated in one or more of the three largest federal food and nutrition assistance programs: SNAP (formerly food stamps), School Lunch and WIC. [source]

As a food blogger, I fully admit that I take food for granted. I’ve never been truly hungry a day in my life.

I often joke with my husband about how our grocery bill could cover a family of 5 rather than just the 2 of us; I can laugh and shrug my shoulders because I know we can afford it. However, there’s nothing funny about 50 million Americans who can’t always feed their families.

When I think deeply about how I dined out on 3 different occasions this past weekend, it makes me feel spoiled.
When I read about the poor graduation rate in my community, I can’t help but wonder how many children struggle to focus and advance in school because improper nutrition causes brain fog or shortened attention spans.
When I read the latest health data about how Alabama simultaneously has the fourth highest obesity rate [source] and the 2^nd highest rate of food insecurity [source] in the country, I can’t help but blame the government that subsidizes the large-scale soy and corn industry that’s ultimately bankrupted the local farmer while lowering the price of (and promoting) junk food.
When I complain about my grocery bill being too high, I can’t help but think of state politicians who find no issue with our regressive food sales tax and how badly it hits the poorest of the poor.
When I drive out of the way to my favorite grocery store, I fail to realize that many families buy boxed and canned goods at bodegas and dollar stores because they lack transportation to shop outside of their “food desert.”
When I throw out forgotten bags of vegetables or leftover pasta from the back of our refrigerator, I feel ashamed of my waste.

My parents may not have frequently dined out at fancy restaurants or prepared the most luxurious meals when I was growing up, but they always saw that I had 3 square meals a day. If I didn’t like a certain food (there were many, as I was the pickiest of eaters), no problem, they’d fix me something else.

Many of my fondest memories—be they holidays, vacations, youth group events, etc.—revolved around food, and they still do.

Although it’s the simplest of gestures, I’m going to reflect upon my meals this week. I’m going to eat with gratitude, not with greed. I’m going to make an extra effort to minimize waste and truly enjoy both the taste of my food and the knowledge of the nutrients and energy it provides.

I encourage you to follow this link, to send a letter to Congress in support of anti-hunger legislation. I’ve submitted one myself, and the more, the better!

Before I go, I’d like to share one of my favorite, simple, budget-friendly dinner recipes. The meal is inexpensive, but it’s also satisfying with protein/fiber from the beans, vitamins/minerals from the vegetables, and healthy fats from the olive oil.

Easy Black Beans and Rice

(serves 2)

Ingredients

1 can black beans
½ cup uncooked rice
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic powder/jarred garlic)
salt & pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Cook rice according to directions and set aside.
In a skillet, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender.
Add the black beans, and heat all the way through.
Serve the bean mixture over rice, and you have a satiating, yet inexpensive, meal!