Food security of food recipients of a food pantry and soup kitchen.

Objective: To discern the impact of food donations provided by a food pantry and soup kitchen on food security.

Design: In this cross-sectional study, participants completed a demographic questionnaire, core food security module, FFQ and list of food donations. The FFQ was utilized to assess diet quality as estimated via the 2010 Healthy Eating Index.

Setting: Clients were selected randomly from a food pantry and soup kitchen in Central Texas, USA.ParticipantsA total of 222 adults.

Results: Approximately 73 % of participants lacked food security. Compared with the food secure, the food insecure consisted of 61 % men, 42 % Caucasians, 56 % single and 67 % homeless. Also, of the food insecure, 60 % were soup kitchen clients and 64 % had an annual income <$US 1000 (P<0·01). The probability of food insecurity was reduced by ≥1·17-fold when the total dietary intake included the food donations, as these were rich in fruits, total vegetables and grains, dairy and protein foods (P<0·05).

Conclusions: Food insecurity was quite prevalent in this sample of individuals who visited food pantries and soup kitchens. The addition of food donations improved the quality of the participants' total diet and had a positive influence on food security. Thus, community organizations should financially support these food assistance agencies and strive to offer a variety of healthy and tasty foods in adequate quantities to provide optimum diet quality.