December 5, 2023
Listen:
Read Along:
Getting Back to the Garden
by Stephanie Molnar
My friend Cindy volunteers with a non-profit whose goal is to introduce schoolchildren to vegetables. “One had never eaten broccoli,” she told me pointedly. “Another had never seen a red pepper.” This is one reason that anytime anyone asks, “What’s the one thing you’d change if you could?” I say, “I would make sure everyone has nutrition.”
As Cindy’s experience suggests, I don’t just mean food. In the U.S., we have plenty of calories. What many people lack—particularly in poor, underserved neighborhoods—is access to fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, and greens.
The benefits of at least “5 A Day”—typically one-cup servings of raw non-starchy vegetables, one-cup servings of dark leafy greens, and whole fruits or servings of smaller delights like berries—are undeniable. We quench our thirst. We absorb vitamin C, which our body cannot store. We also get fiber! (Let’s leave it at that.)
The effects of too many highly processed foods are also clear. Certain fats and flours, excess salt and sugar, and many added chemicals promote diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Yet these are the foods most available to us. Sixty percent of the calories we take in are highly processed. Especially in poorer areas, these foods may be all people have access to.
So, I say: Our biggest problem isn’t necessarily hunger, though feeding programs remain important. I dream that one day we will make sure everyone is not just fed, but nourished. In so doing, I believe we’ll encourage more than physical health. We may also find ourselves happier and better able to tackle many other challenges in our world that God needs our attention to solve.
“Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”
“God, help us to be mindful of our food. Forgive us when we overlook simple fare like beans and greens. Bless the hands that grew, picked, and prepared our food—often in difficult circumstances. Help us to share with our neighbors, and to reach out when we ourselves are in need. Finally, may what we receive nourish our bodies and strengthen us in your service. Amen.”
