Listen to this articleThe basics:
- About 1.1M New Jerseyans face food insecurity as costs rise and pandemic aid ends
- Health systems are teaching low-cost cooking strategies using canned and boxed pantry foods
- Nutrition experts stress rinsing canned items, reducing sodium and choosing minimally processed foods
With more New Jerseyans relying on food pantries for sustenance, local health care systems are ramping up education on practical cooking strategies that can help transform canned, boxed and packaged foods into balanced meals.
Following the end of COVID-related federal relief programs and higher costs of living many households now face, about 1.1 million residents across the state are food insecure, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
Food pantry usage and demand for emergency food assistance remains higher now than before or during parts of the pandemic era, reflecting ongoing economic pressures like inflation and benefit gaps, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey recently reported.
Given the uptick in both temporary and long-term food insecurity, fresh produce, proteins and dairy products are increasingly becoming part of food bank distributions across the state thanks to grants, local farm partnerships and special programs aimed at improving nutrition.
According to CFBNJ – the largest anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization in the state – fresh fruits and vegetables comprised roughly 30% of food pantry distributions over the past year. However, despite more initiatives adding fresh produce supplies to food banks, access to fresh foods can remain a challenge for a few reasons, including capacity for handling perishables.
That means the majority of donated foods are non-perishable processed products. Minimally or moderately processed items, like canned beans, frozen vegetables, oats, rice or canned fish, are often healthy and nutritious. However, highly processed foods, like certain snacks, soda, instant noodles and packaged meals, are more likely to be high in added sugar, salt or unhealthy fats.
Health effects
Because inconsistent access to nutritious food makes it harder to prevent and manage illness, people dealing with food insecurity are more likely to experience chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Along with anemia and other nutrient deficiencies, individuals may also battle obesity due to reliance on cheaper, calorie-dense foods and irregular eating patterns. There are also higher rates of depression, anxiety and chronic stress linked to food insecurity.
Teresa Garvey, a registered dietician with South Jersey-based Virtua Health, said, “There’s two ingredient companies add that bring on unwelcome health conditions — sugar and salt. And, unfortunately, they are the foods that are most affordable.”
“It can be hard for someone who really wants to eat healthy because it’s just unaffordable. But, tips like rinsing vegetables and canned items underwater for two minutes can be a great way to get the biggest bang for your buck and your health,” she said.
“When affordability is a barrier to purchasing foods that we would love to have on our plate, choosing minimally processed foods over ultra processed foods is really challenging just because unfortunately, the ultra-processed is cheaper,” explained Garvey.
Tracee Yablon Brenner, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Holy Name Medical Center, added, “Food pantries often offer a limited variety of foods, with fewer nutrient-dense options such as fresh produce, lean proteins, and dairy. This may contribute to micronutrient gaps, lower overall diet quality, and an increased long-term risk of chronic disease.”
“Simple meal-planning handouts can promote balanced intake of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Education on healthy food preparation techniques can help maximize food nutrients while reducing excess sodium, added sugars, and unhealthy fats,” she stated.
Rinse and repeat
Since fresh groceries remain difficult for many families to afford, teaching simple ways to turn those processed pantry staples into healthier, low-sodium, nutrient-rich meals has become increasingly important for health care practitioners.
For patients who visit Virtua’s Food Farmacy brick-and-mortar sites in Camden and Mount Holly, Garvey said the team offers nutrition education, social support resources, and access to free produce and non-perishable groceries.
Launched in 2017, the program is built on research showing that while people can achieve and maintain good health via eating patterns, many individuals lack access to healthy food or knowledge about a healthy diet. Virtua’s award-winning “Eat Well” initiative also includes a mobile farmers market and mobile grocery store serving communities in Burlington and Camden counties that lack accessible, affordable healthy food options. A mobile food farmacy is slated to hit the road in early 2026.
One of the biggest lessons for patients undergoing nutrition education counseling pertains to paying closer attention to product labels, Garvey said.
“If a canned item, like canned vegetables, is the most affordable … perhaps choose the options that have no salt added or have any frame of reference as far as wording related to reduced sodium, low in sodium, lower in sodium. If canned fruit is the most affordable option, try to choose fruit that’s packed in water or its own juices. However, if canned fruit with syrup added is more affordable, we say buy it when you’re ready to eat it, pour it into a colander, run it underwater for two minutes to try and get rid of as much added syrup or added sugar as possible. And the same goes for any canned item that has salt as an added ingredient,” she said.
Garvey also noted that ditching the seasoning packets that come with ramen noodles and sauce packets that are often packaged with frozen vegetables can be a good way to minimize salt intake.
“And then just try to do your best as far as seasoning with something out of your cabinet – garlic powder or pepper,” she said.
Garvey highlighted the importance of talking with patients about portion sizes. “Just having a better understanding of what an actual healthy serving is helps a person stretch out their food dollar and reduce the amount of calories they’re consuming, which in turn helps overall with our health,” she said.
Swapping out
Yablon Brenner emphasized putting together “a balanced plate.”
At Teaneck-headquartered Holy Name Medical Center, she provides one-on-one nutrition counseling for people looking to manage an existing condition or for those who want to be proactive about their health.
When fresh produce isn’t available, she advises using the following inexpensive items to increase flavor and nutrition:
- Canned tomatoes or tomato paste (vitamin C, lycopene and umami)
- Spices such as garlic, onion and chili powder; cumin; paprika and Italian seasonings (rich in polyphenols and boosts antioxidant intake)
- Beans or lentils (protein and fiber)
- Frozen fruit and vegetables (nutritionally comparable)
“Pair starches, like potatoes, rice, pastas – chickpea, lentil rich in protein or whole wheat – with a source of protein which can be canned, shelf-stable or frozen if the food pantry has a freezer. Pair fruit with protein sources too, which is helpful for prediabetics and diabetics as people will be fuller longer and may avoid blood sugar spikes,” she said.
She also pointed to the need to “prioritize fiber,” saying, “Beans, lentils, whole-grain pasta, oats, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, canned vegetables, and canned pumpkin help people stay full longer and stabilize blood sugar.”
More healthy-eating tips
Yablon Brenner offered several other practical, low cost-ways to make highly processed foods healthier, including:
- Choosing tomato-based sauces instead of creamy ones to reduce saturated fat
- Mixing half of a regular canned vegetables with half “no salt added” or frozen vegetables which are flash frozen at the peak of freshness rich in vitamins and minerals without added sodium
- Adding water, as well as herbs, spices, beans and vegetables to soups high in sodium to stretch the serving and reduce sodium per portion
- Skimming the fat from canned chilis and canned soups before reheating
Caroline Rudkin, a registered dietician based at Virtua’s Food Farmacy in Camden, said, “A lot of the times when we get these heat-and-serve meals, like Chef Boyardee or a box of mac & cheese, a really easy way to make it as nutrient dense as possible is mixing in those rinsed canned vegetables.”
“Then, you have a vegetable in with your highly processed food so that you are getting some more fiber in there, because fiber does help us feel fuller for longer,” she said, adding that it’s also a way to “stretch it for a little bit longer.”
“And, with those canned soups, you can add an extra cup of water in there and add maybe a can of rinsed mixed vegetables. If you have a little leftover soup, you can stretch that into two servings with less sodium,” she said.
Leigh Slagle-Leeds, a registered dietitian with Valley Health System in Paramus, said, “I think that it is important to keep meals as balanced as possible. A lot of people avoid canned fruits and vegetables because they’ve been taught that they’re high in sugar and sodium, and yes some are. However, choosing canned fruits and vegetables can help improve intake of potassium and fiber, both of which are lacking in most people’s diet.”
Slagle-Leeds said that while canned options “typically get a bad rap as being less nutritious than fresh or frozen,” most of those products “are picked at peak ripeness and then canned to preserve nutrients.”
“Canned vegetables and soups can be high in sodium so if you are able to choose lower sodium options that helps. If you don’t have the option of lower sodium vegetables, you can rinse them prior to cooking to help remove some of the excess sodium. Canned fruit can have a lot of added sugar so choosing no added sugar options, or finding fruit canned in 100% juice or water can help avoid added sugars,” she explained.
Slagle-Leeds also advised adding vegetables, beans or lentils to meals to power up nutritional value.
“I have added broccoli to macaroni and cheese for my toddler to help with making mac and cheese more balanced. I’ve also seen people blend canned white beans into a jarred pasta sauce to help increase fiber and protein. Most companies make noodles out of beans or with added fiber, but if that’s not an option, egg noodles are higher in protein than most pastas,” she said.
Fueling wellness
Studies have shown that investing in nutrition education and food access can be both a public health strategy and cost-saving measure for systems — especially those serving areas with high rates of food insecurity.
Teaching healthy eating helps prevent chronic diseases and improve medication effectiveness, which, in turn, reduces hospital visits and lowers overall health care costs.
Programs combining nutrition education and meal support can save thousands per patient annually and cut hospitalizations by nearly half, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine report.
In New Jersey, major systems have several initiatives that seek to empower food insecure individuals with practical skills to improve diet quality and support overall health even when fresh groceries are scarce. Along with cooking demonstrations, grocery store tours and recipe guides, there’s also Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits enrollment assistance, food distribution and programs linking households with fresh produce.
For example, Hackensack Meridian Health screens patients for food insecurity and then links them to community resources. It also relays guidance on balancing meals with limited ingredients.
At RWJBarnabas Health, that network embeds SNAP navigators and nutrition education in its facilities statewide. It also promotes health equity through community gardens, farmers markets and food farmacies, as well as supporting summer feeding, KidsFit and farm-to-pantry deliveries to increase access to fresh, healthy food.
Holy Name’s community health initiatives include free wellness programs, screenings, fitness classes and support groups. It also provides resources to connect the public with food banks.
Slagle-Leeds said Valley does “have a variety of nutrition education programs offered throughout the year.”
“We also offer outpatient nutrition counseling, supermarket tours, and the Healthy You Program. All of these community benefits are to help empower individuals to make the healthiest choices for themselves,” she said.
SNAP to it
Amid recent interruptions and uncertainty surrounding SNAP benefits caused by last fall’s federal government shutdown, numerous organizations, health care networks, corporations and the state government pledged millions of dollars to combat food insecurity in New Jersey.
Much of that support involved doubling down on improving access to fresh food. For instance, Hackensack Meridian Health kicked off an almost $7 million initiative that includes a new school-based offering to provide nutritious food to children.
As part of that commitment, HMH is launching a $2.3 million program designed to increase access to healthy meals beyond school days for children in communities where at least 40% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. According to HMH, the effort provides nutrition boxes or reusable bags with shelf-stable meals and fresh produce through partnerships with organizations such as CFBNJ, Fulfill and The Common Market.
Slated to run through June 2026, the network said it will conduct ongoing evaluations to assess impact and inform possible expansion.
HMH is also putting $4.2 million into existing grocery programs, including the Fresh Match initiative that gives a dollar-for-dollar match on fresh fruits and vegetables for customers using SNAP benefits at participating stores.
Garvey said, “Given the curve ball with our neighbors who receive SNAP benefits, I think as a whole, everyone on our team recognizes the struggle. Especially Caroline and I because we meet patients one-on-one and we hear the heartache, the stories and the struggles behind the curtain … There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty.”
“Virtua is definitely thinking outside the box as unfortunate curve balls might come our way or our neighbor’s way,” she said. “We added some pop-up markets during the month of November, which was really helpful. There’s a colleague market that was established a few years ago to help our colleagues who are also experiencing food insecurity.”
