April 19, 2024

Foods that give back

By Emily Ring

2 Degrees Food Director of Business Development and Partnerships Peter Walters, left, visits with a family in Haiti after donating meals on a trip. 2 Degrees Food mission is to bridge the gap between consumers in the United States and hungry children all over the world. (Submitted photo)

When you’re shopping at the grocery store and you see all the different brands of foods, you might not think too much past the name on the label.

But what if you knew about the brands that pay it forward? What if you knew that by buying a certain brand of food, a portion of the proceeds would go to help a specific charity, or when you buy one product, the brand will donate food to someone in need, would that change your mind?

First let’s look at the “buy-one-give-one” approach.

2 Degrees bars are just one of the brands that looks to help those in need. Its mission is simple: to fight childhood hunger. Part of the company’s mission statement says “the distance between you and a hungry child may seem far, but you’re only two degrees away.”

These snack bars are consciously crafted to meet different needs such as being gluten free, vegan, and low sodium. They are also not only nutritious by containing a variety of whole grains and seeds such as quinoa, millet and chia seed, but for every bar purchased a meal is provided to a child in need.

To date, 2 Degrees Foods has donated more than 1 million meals to countries around the world.

To find out more about their impact and the company's mission, visit twodegreesfood.com.

PB Crave, a delicious peanut butter spread that comes in different flavors such as CoCo Bananas, Razzle Dazzle, Cookie Nookie and Choco Choco, is not only a food that will make our taste buds dance but is trying to make a larger impact on the lives of those who need it most. The company says “a minimum of 2 percent of the profit from every jar of PB Crave peanut butter goes directly to Project Peanut Butter, a nonprofit organization focused on treating malnourished children.” Project Peanut Butter helps children in need by providing ready-to-use therapeutic food. It is similar to a peanut butter paste but more energy-dense to meet the needs of malnourished children.

While it may seem like a small step, looking into the foods you shop for can have a larger impact than just meeting your needs.