Four community food banks will receive more than a half ton of non-perishable food donated throughout the month of October, thanks to the efforts of Healthy Acadiana, Eat Fit Acadiana and the Women’s Foundation.

The groups led the charge to collect healthy food for the Second Harvest, FoodNet, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and South Louisiana Community College’s foodbanks. 

More than 1,200 pounds was raised by about 30 organizations. And there’s already a request to continue the drive next October, said Bradley Cruice, one of the leaders of Healthy Acadiana.

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The goal was to collect items that promoted healthier lifestyles, such as whole-grain rice, food items high in fiber and items with more nutritional value. It’s intended to help recipients feel empowered about the food they’re eating, said Yvette Quantz, Oshner’s Eat Fit Acadiana’s operations and marketing dietician.

“Usually people are giving items that are expired or from the back fo the pantry. They’re not thinking about the nutritional value of the products,” she said. “We as a group at Healthy Acadiana got out into the community and asked people to start giving with more intention.”

It’s Quantz’s hope that as others in the community prepare their own food drives, they’ll encourage doners to opt for healthy donation options. For more information about promoting a healthy food drive, visit Healthy Acadiana.

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Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi. 

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