Food Insecurity is Spooky
What’s the scariest thing you’ve seen during spooky season? This might not be on your list, but food insecurity should be a top contender. Let’s get creative and think of ways we can help our community out this Halloween.
What is Food Insecurity?
As defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “food insecurity means that households were, at times, unable to acquire adequate food for one or more household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for food.” (Food Insecurity Rates in Maine).
Food Insecurity in Maine
Recent data collected shows this challenge across our state (Food Insecurity Rates in Maine, Food Security in the U.S):
- 1 in 5 (20.7%) of children live in food-insecure households, the highest rate of child food insecurity in New England.
- 1 in 7 people (14.5%) in Maine live in households that struggle to afford enough food to eat.
- 13.7 % (18.3 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2024.
- 12.9% of Maine households experienced food insecurity between 2022 and 2024.
- 4.6% of households experienced very low food security, the most severe form of food deprivation.
How Can We Help?
Help feed kids this Halloween! If you hand out candy, consider offering shelf-stable food options too. Adding food options is a small but meaningful way we can help our communities. Shelf-stable foods can be safely stored at room temperature and don’t need to be refrigerated.
Shelf-Stable Food Ideas
- Fruit cups (100% juice or in water)
- Applesauce or fruit pouches
- Small dried fruit boxes
- Pretzels, chips, or crackers
- Microwave popcorn
- Mini cereal boxes
- Oatmeal packets
- Granola bars
- Canned soup or ramen
- Box macaroni and cheese
- Dry pasta
- Canned vegetables or beans (no salt added or low sodium)
Let’s come together to help each other in our communities. For a list of helpful resources, go to our blog, Resources for Times of Food and Financial Stress.
Resources
- Food Insecurity Rates in Maine (Maine.gov)
- Food Security in the U.S. (USDA)
- Resources for Times of Food and Financial Stress
Author
Alex Gayton, MS, RD is a registered dietitian (RD) and has been with University of Maine Cooperative Extension since January 2020. Alex is a supervisor and the social media coordinator for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program’s (EFNEP) Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages. She also is the creator of the Mainely Dish recipe video series. Alex loves food photography, baking, and cooking plant-based meals!