Healthy Food Bank and Food Pantry Guidelines
Cultural Considerations

There are various health challenges that individuals face among the different ethnicities in the world, such as high rates of chronic disease, pollution-related issues, and inadequate health care access in certain regions. A healthy diet plays a crucial role in addressing health disparities by promoting overall well-being and reducing the risk of diet-related diseases. By consuming a balanced and nutritious diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, individuals and families can improve their immune systems, maintain healthy weight, regulate blood sugar levels, and lower the risk of chronic conditions. A healthy diet can also contribute to better mental health, enhanced cognitive function, and increased energy levels, thereby improving the quality of life of all.

ASIA

(including but not limited to Chinese, Japanese, Korean)

Chinese

Cultural Foods: Chinese broccoli, bok choy, choy sum, long beans, eggplant, radish, corn, potato, sweet potato, medium-grain rice, noodles, tofu, pork, chicken

Japanese

Cultural Foods: Ginger, garlic, green onion, broccoli, spinach, squash, sweet potato, soybean, short-grain rice, noodle, seaweed, potato, corn starch, fish, tofu

Korean

Cultural Foods: Kimchi (cabbage, radish, etc.), cucumber, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, soybean, short-grain rice, noodle, pork, chicken, fish

MELANESIA

(including but not limited to  Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, and New Caledonia)

Cultural Foods: Sweet potato, taro, yam, bananas, chicken, fish.

MICRONESIA

(including but not limited to Marshallese, Chuukese, Chamorro, Palau, Carolinian, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Yapese, Nauruan, Kiribati)

Cultural Foods: Taro, breadfruit, yam, sweet potato, banana, coconut, rice, fish, coconut, crab, pork, chicken, clams

NORTH AMERICAN/EUROPEAN

(including but not limited to Italian, German, English, French, Irish, Mexican, African)

Cultural Foods: Potato, corn, bread starches, rice, wheat, beef, chicken, pork

POLYNESIA

(including but not limited to Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, Maori, Cook Islands)

Cultural Foods: Breadfruit, taro (root and leaves), sweet potato, banana, rice, egg, pork, fish, chicken

SOUTH AMERICA/LATIN

(including but not limited to  Spanish, Caribbean, Portuguese, Indigenous Latin)

Cultural Foods: Corn, squash, pepper, tomato, plantain, potato, rice, beans, beef, pork, chicken, lamb

SOUTH EAST ASIA

(including but not limited to Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, West Malaysia)

Filipino

Cultural Foods: Bean sprouts, sweet potato, taro, coconut, eggplant, rice, chicken, pork, shrimp, fish

Vietnamese

Cultural Foods: Soybean, sweet potato, corn, cabbage, spinach, bitter melon

Dietary Changes Suggestions

Click the tabs below to view suggestions to reduce or reduce risk of certain health issues.