Jeffco Eats is an approved agency express member and provider with Food Bank of Rockies. We are also in the Totes for Hope Program and PUSH produce program. We get 90 percent of our foods from Food Bank Rockies.

BBB ACCREDITED CHARITY bbb.org A Member of CHARITY NAVIGATOR What does Food Bank of the Rockies do? Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We feed the hungry through our programs and partner agencies in Northern Colorado, including Metro Denver and the entire state of Wyoming. How does Food Bank of the Rockies distribute its food? FBR distributes food directly through our Nutrition Network and Mobile Pantry programs and through our partner agencies. Any IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a hunger-relief program serving the ill, needy or children, may apply to become a partner agency. There is no membership fee. Shelters, food pantries, emergency assistance programs, child-welfare centers, senior nutrition programs, churches, synagogues, community centers, halfway houses and other similar organizations distribute FBR food. Who receives the food distributed by Food Bank of the Rockies’ agencies? Nearly half of those receiving food assistance are children under age 18. Seniors represent about 14% of our clients. We estimate only 10% of our recipients are homeless or living in temporary situations. 70% have incomes at or below the federal poverty level. More than 60% must make choices between buying food or paying for rent, medicine, transportation or utilities. Why do agencies use Food Bank of the Rockies to supply their hunger-relief programs? Collaboration with Food Bank of the Rockies is critical to the operations of many of our partner agencies. Food at our warehouse is handled safely, professionally and in accordance with all food industry, government agency, health and AIB sanitation standards. Our size and scope allow us to provide the most cost-effective way for agencies to access the greatest variety of food and necessities in volume.

Our team has national connections to secure the best product available, allowing partner agencies to stretch their funds and provide more food or additional services to their clients. Through FBR, not only do hunger-relief programs save significantly, they have access to a greater variety of high-quality items. In addition, we offer education, support and resources for our agencies, helping to enhance and expand their programs and funding. How much food does Food Bank distribute annually? In fiscal 2017 we distributed nearly 49 million meals (60.6 million pounds of food and non-food essentials) for hungry children, seniors and families. These numbers translate to more than 134,000 meals for struggling families every day. Where Does Food Bank of the Rockies Receive Financial Support? Contributions are raised through gifts and grants from associations, foundations and corporations, as well as gifts from individuals, bequests and proceeds from promotions and special events. Do agencies pay Food Bank of the Rockies for the food they receive? Agencies do not purchase donated products. To help cover our transportation and warehouse expenses, agencies do contribute a very small Agency Support Fee (ASF) for some items. The IRS permits this system if the fee is not based on the value of the product and food recipients are not charged. Last year, partner agencies contributed an average ASF of 2¢ per pound; according to Feeding America. To encourage consumption over spoilage, fresh produce, dairy and bread are distributed free. Last year, FBR gave away millions of pounds of food with no ASF. Products donated to FBR through food drives are always distributed without a fee. No fee is ever passed on to those receiving food assistance. Because we have no control over the type and quantity of products donated to us, and to provide consistency to our partner agencies, we also offer a Purchased Food Program. This program allows agencies to purchase staples such as peanut butter, pasta and sauce, rice, beans, canned meat, fruits and vegetables and kid-friendly items at our wholesale cost. Fresh produce is also purchased when additional funds are available and passed through to our partner agencies at no cost. Last year, we purchased almost 3 million pounds of fresh produce. (over ) F

Food myths debunked: When do canned foods really expire?

When does canned food really expire? Is it safe to eat canned food after the “best by” date? Here’s what we know.Jan. 9, 2018, 8:57 AM MST / Source: TODAYBy Katie Jackson

During the winter months, chances are pretty good that one night, you may be reaching for that can of soup in your pantry when it’s just too cold to go out — and you’re too tired to prepare a whole meal.

But while you’re opening it, you see the date stamped on the top and recoil. The soup expired two months ago! Or did it? When it comes to canned foods — and a lot of foods in general — it turns out many consumers aren’t always sure what those stamped dates actually mean.

Sell by dates and best by dates are not actually mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unless it’s for infant formula, the dates on packages are voluntarily provided by the manufacturers. Stores can even sell products that are weeks or months “past” their dates.

So, what do the numbers on the cans really mean? TODAY Food reached out to the Canned Food Alliance, whose spokesperson pointed us to their basic guide referencing expiration dates. According to their guidelines, canned food (when kept at relatively stable temperatures) will remain at peak quality for at least two years after it’s been processed. They note that while food in cans “retains its safety and nutritional value well beyond two years,” its color and texture may change after that time. Many factors affect how long a food will stay edible in the can, but food kept at “moderate temperatures [75 degrees or below]” may last indefinitely.

Does that mean you should be eating food out of a can found on the Titanic? Probably not.

Ron Giles, Quality Assurance Director of Goya Foods, Inc. says the canned food industry prefers to use “best by” dates as opposed to expiration dates.

“Canned foods do not expire on a certain date,” explains Giles. “One cannot say that the canned food is good on one day and not good the next day. Canned foods are under a vacuum. The absence of oxygen helps to extend the shelf life of canned foods.”

A “best by” date, on the other hand, indicates when a consumer may notice a decrease in quality. For example, the food’s color, texture or flavor may not be optimal. NBC nutrition consultant and registered dietician Bonnie Taub-Dix, author of “Read It Before You Eat It,” said that there may also be a decrease in nutritional value.

But even then, it takes years for that to happen. Goya canned beans, for example, have a best by date of three to five years from the day of production. Goya — which is one of the world’s largest food processing companies — determines a product’s shelf life by taking into account several factors. In addition to looking at industry standards and doing internal evaluations, the company uses insight from packaging material suppliers.

So which older canned food is safer to eat? In general, foods that are more acidic will actually expire sooner. Foods with a more basic pH level will last longer than most canned vegetables and fruits. This means good old Spam may actually outlive those canned peaches.

But storage quality is really the biggest determinant of canned food safety.

“When I think ‘zombie apocalypse bunker’ I think canned food!” says Emily Peterson, Chef Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. “Can something meant to feed us ‘forever’ in case of emergency ever really expire?” Peterson doesn’t tell her culinary students to focus on the dates on cans.

“I’m more concerned about the state of the can itself. Is it swollen? That’s a definite no-go. Is it dented or rusted? Throw it away.”

The problem with cans that are in less-than-perfect condition (think dents, dings and swollen areas) is that the hermetic seal and protective lining inside can be broken. Cans are coated with an interior lining that prevents the can’s metal from coming in direct contact with its contents. If the outside of the can is dented, there’s a good chance the interior lining is compromised as well.

Usually, this results in the can rusting or swelling up as the food reacts with the steel, tin or aluminum in the can. Bacteria can also grow and release gases that make the can bulge. (Botulism is a concern for goods improperly canned at home, but it’s not a concern for commercially canned food.)

Can FOODsniffer really ‘smell’ whether meat is safe to eat?

DEC. 16, 201604:32

If the can looks fine but you’re still uncomfortable with it being past the best by date, donate it to a food pantry. Many food pantries accept, or will properly dispose of, expired goods. To avoid getting into a tricky situation in the first place, implement the first in, first out rule. “When storing your canned goods, newer items should go towards the back while older items should be towards the front of cabinets or pantries for easier access,” says Mandy Enright, a registered dietician based in New Jersey.

If the can looks fine and you want to go for it, no problem. Just get a good whiff first. If something doesn’t smell right and it doesn’t look right, don’t eat it or serve it.

https://www.today.com/food/when-do-canned-foods-really-expire-t119977

For the average suburban middle class family Mid May can mean beginning a routine of weekly new fun adventures for the children , a summer vacation for a week, trips to the mountains, and many other special ways to be entertained and enjoy summer. Raise your hand if that’s your family ?

Since we believe in serving, sharing and loving at Jeffco Eats we would like you to join us in doing something to help our neighbors. The 42% comes from not having free and reduced breakfast or lunch each week. If we eat 21 meals a week and we lose 10 that is 42 % bye bye, gone. No more free and no more reduced breakfast and lunch meals. No teachers to give you snack bars or a friend to share their lunch with you.

Starting in March, we are going to ask for many community groups to have helpful tips for our less fortunate neighbors on being able to survive this deeper hunger horror. The baseline to think about is a family of four living on $30k and that is a life of trauma. So to make more healthy decisions takes more effort and more forethought. Here is how we can help:

Start a campaign at your local school to add tips each week starting in mid March for how to get more food each week in summer. Here are some ideas:

1. Have someone good at budgeting help you figure out how to stretch the money you have
2. Partner with another family on getting to a food pantry more often
3. Use food delivery services with another family and share the delivery cost and plan ahead for a whole week of groceries needed
4. Have neighbors shop sales – send someone to Sprouts to buy the produce on sale and get enough for two or four families.
5. Use a crock pot for meals that are healthy and easy.
6. Summer food locations – work those spots to the maximum so your children can have free lunch one day a week, two days or ?
7. Start using methods to cook more at once: make bags of carrots and apples, and peanut butter and celery sticks.

JEFFCO EATS is going to ask families to sign up to get a bit extra food each week beginning in April to save away like a chipmunk for summer foods in their pantry. This will be a small reminder for coming up with a better game plan.

If you would like to donate to help us buy this additional food just click here: https://jeffcoeats.org/donate/ Please let us know what you do to help in a school or in your after school club or church ? We want to give Moms and Dads and Grandma and Grandpa and neighbors some great ways to reduce the silent suffering of being hungry amidst a sea of people who are doing just fine. Believing together we can help Jeffco Eat.

We had someone donate to a food drive a tasty bite lentil bag. We are going to look at this donation versus cooking from scratch with organic products to see how you who donate to Jeffco Eats can get the most for our children and families consistently all year round.

Price:

$10.73 ($0.18 / Ounce)  | FREE Same-Day

Tasty Bite Indian Entree Madras Lentils 10 Ounce (Pack of 6), Fully Cooked Indian Entrée with Lentils Red Beans & Spices in a Creamy Tomato Sauce, Microwaveable, Ready to Eat

by Tasty Bite   

So 60 oz of lentils is $10.73. In pounds of food which includes sauce in packets that is 4 lbs of lentils with sauce for $2.68 a lb for lentils with sauce.

How much lentils could we make with a lb of lentils we could purchase at Vitamin Cottage or King Soopers ? It is $1.91 for a pound of green lentils.

How Many Cups Does 1/4 Cup of Dry Lentils Make When Cooked? One-quarter cup of dry lentils makes about one-half to five-eighths cup cooked lentils. As a general rule of thumb, dry lentils approximately double in volume when cooked.

How Many Cups Does 1/4 Cup of Dry Lentils Make When Cooked …

https://www.reference.com/…/many-cups-1-4-cup-dry-lentils-make-cooked-7b6db04b3…

So one pound of lentils will make two pounds of lentils so that would be about $.95 a lb but then you make lentils in sauce. Says referance.com but we have another measure that seems more accurate.

Note that one pound (16 ounces) of dry lentils yields about 7 cups cooked. Remember, no soaking is required for cooking lentils.

How to Cook Lentils | Better Homes & Gardens

https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-cook-lentils/h

We will do some cooking classes with our High School program teachers at Brady High and McLain high to provide you with what they found out about the economics of eating smart and healthy.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/lentil-measures-equivalents-and-substitutions-1807469

Lentils have been sustaining humans for thousands of years. Some foodies once considered lentils to be poor man’s food and refused to eat them because they are so inexpensive. Although they may be cheap, lentils are very nutritious, filling, and arguably the most flavorful of all the legumes. 

If you are a vegetarian, vegan, have diabetes, or follow a gluten-free lifestyle, lentils are a great substitute for some foods that are missing from your diet due to your restrictions.

For example, lentils can be a good source of the iron most commonly found in red meat and are high in potassium if you’re diabetic and need to find something to replace that banana. Lentils have a very low glycemic index and resistant starch content, which make them suitable for a diabetic diet. Lentils are also gluten-free and are essential in the gluten-free pantry for making bread, muffins, fritters, and pancakes. Lentil flour is used a lot in Indian cooking and is perfect for vegetarians who want to bake as it will provide missing nutrients.

Protein and Fiber

High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, lentils are a great option for those who have low-fat or low-calorie diets. For vegetarians and vegans, lentils are a good replacement protein; 1/2 cup of dry lentils, which yields just over 1 cup of cooked lentils, has about 26 grams of protein. It is also the equivalent of 80 percent of your daily fiber requirement.

If you are on a gluten-free diet and are restricted from a large segment of wheat-based, fiber-containing foods, turn to lentil for a good fiber source. An increased intake of fiber has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and may protect against developing colon cancer and diabetes.

Vitamins and Minerals

Potassium is good for counteracting an abundance of sodium in your diet and may help your body lower or regulate your blood pressure.

Bananas are usually known to be the potassium powerhouse, but for those who are on a strict diabetic diet, a large banana is not recommended. Luckily, 1/2 cup of dry split red lentils has more potassium than a large banana.

When looking at vegetarian options, lentils are the top source of folate of all the plant-based foods. Folate, also called vitamin B9, is essential for women who are pregnant or who want to become pregnant. Folate helps the body create DNA and other genetic material and supports red blood cell formation and nerve function. Folate is shown to lower artery-damaging homocysteine, may help prevent anemia, and studies show it can protect against developing heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

Iron and Manganese

A half cup of dried lentils is the nutritional equivalent of 100 percent of your body’s manganese requirements and can meet nearly 50 percent of your iron needs. Manganese plays a role in maintaining normal blood sugar level and helps protect against free-radical damage. Free radicals can trigger a number of humans disease by unbalancing the immune system and speeding up the aging process. A big source of manganese is whole wheat, a restricted food if you have gluten-sensitivities or celiac disease.

Since the highest iron-containing foods are meats, if you are vegetarian, you need to find an iron source elsewhere, and lentils and spinach are going to be your main plant-based sources of iron. Iron plays an important part in forming hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to your cells. If your body is lacking in iron and hemoglobin, you may feel lethargic and tired. This is a potential sign of anemia, the condition when your red blood count drops too low. 

Different Colors of Lentils

For the most part, you can substitute any color lentil for another, although some do cook up firmer than others. It helps to know the ins and outs of cooking lentils. Red, yellow, and orange lentils cook the fastest since the seed hulls have been removed. If cooked too long, these lentils can lose shape and become mushy.

If your lentil recipe calls for a lentil that should retain its shape when done, common brown lentils are a good choice. These are the easiest to find in grocery stores. Brown lentils still have their seed coat and have not been split. 

Preparing Lentils

As you are measuring out your lentils, carefully pick through them. Lay them out and check for small lentil-sized pebbles that sometimes make it into the package. These little rocks can sneak into stews or soups and be an unwelcome surprise.

Whether you are following a lentil recipe or substituting lentils for another ingredient, you may need to determine the quantity of dried lentils needed. A few equivalents will make this conversion simple.

Dry Lentils	Equivalent
1 cup	2 1/2 cups cooked
1 pound	2 1/3 cups dry lentils
1 pound	14 servings
1 pound	7 cups cooked

We know how much you want to help and we want your efforts to do the most good!

Did you know only 1% of the food we distribute comes from community food drives?

JEFFCO EATS is a partner with Food Bank of the Rockies because we can help five times as much with food needs in collaboration with their skills and economies of scale buying and distribution power.  We are going to launch a food drive in next week. Email : [email protected] if you want to help.

While we certainly accept non-perishable food and essentials, food drives can actually be cumbersome, costly and time consuming for all involved. Because we’re able to procure food at wholesale or lower costs, we hope you’ll consider some fun, new ways to give back.

What Happens With Traditional Food Drives?

• When food is collected, donors either go shopping and pay full price for food or they clean out their pantries.
• They must take the food to the collection location.
• Food is stored during the drive and then delivered to our warehouse or picked up by our drivers.
• Every item must be inspected, sorted, cleaned if needed and re-boxed for distribution.
• Sometimes jars break and cans get dangerously dented, so some food ends up getting thrown away.
• Some donated items are too old or unsafe to distribute.
• Sometimes our barrels are mistaken for trash cans and we have to make sure any trash is discarded and items that come in contact with it are cleaned or thrown away.

Why Is Money Better?

• We can distribute 5 pounds of food (4 meals) for every dollar we receive!
• Food comes in or we pick it up by the truckload from grocers, manufacturers, wholesalers, farmers and ranchers.
• Most if it is ready to distribute and requires less handling.
• We can also distribute fresh produce and perishable frozen and refrigerated foods.
• No donation is too small! Even a quarter can provide a meal to someone in need.
• 96 cents of every dollar we receive goes to our food distribution program.
• We’re accredited by the BBB and have held a 4-star (highest) rating from Charity Navigator for 8 consecutive years, putting us in the top 2% of charities nationwide! We will use your donations wisely.

Virtual Food Drives
$1 = 5 Pounds of Food!

I’m Ready
to Host
My Drive!

CLICK HERE

We’re here to assist with ideas that can nourish our hungry neighbors.

It’s Easy to Host a Virtual Food Drive

Please consider hosting a virtual food drive instead of, or in addition to a traditional drive. It’s effective, secure and convenient to set up on our website! You’ll get your own page to customize and a link to share via email and social media.

Create a competition at your office or for your team or group and see who can raise the most, all without driving to the store or collecting cans.

If you’re celebrating a special event or remembering/honoring a friend or loved one, you can host a virtual food drive too.

A $20 donation can fill an entire barrel full of food!LEARN MORE AND GET STARTED