September 16, 2025 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Newsletters Promote Healthy Eating Habits for Children Children’s Health Month doesn’t begin until October, but any time is a good time to start thinking about healthier eating habits for young people. Learn More The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nibbles for Health: Nutrition Newsletters for Parents of Young Children has a wealth of material on how to promote healthy eating habits for children. The newsletters are intended to be shared by child care food program providers for discussion on popular nutrition topics. Some of the topics in the newsletters include: Developing Healthy Habits with Less Sugar Developing a Taste for Less Sodium Encouraging Vegetables Growing Strong with Milk Tips for a “Choosy” Eater Most of the newsletters are broken down into sections that combine facts with tips and activities. For example, the Encouraging Vegetables newsletter includes information on how vegetables can help children to get important nutrients, provide dietary fiber, and reduce the risk of certain diseases. The newsletter then provides ways to encourage children to eat vegetables – such as eating and preparing food together, choosing different colors of vegetables, and shopping together for vegetables. The newsletter culminates in an activity for children and caregivers that involves coloring in vegetables that the child has sampled. Each of the newsletters are available for download in the Nibbles for Health archive.
July 23, 2024 Report: Hundreds of Thousands Suffer from Food Insecurity in Allegheny County More than 140,000 people in Allegheny County are struggling with food insecurity, which is defined as a lack of access to adequate food that prevents individuals from leading a healthy life, according to a report by Feeding America. Learn More According to the report, food insecurity is associated with numerous social and health outcomes and is considered a critical public health issue. Key drivers of food insecurity include unemployment, poverty, and income shocks – or, a sudden decrease in a household’s income – which can prevent adequate access to food. A total of 142,190 Allegheny County residents – or 11.4% – were found to struggle with food insecurity, according to the report. Additionally, 44% of county residents were found to be above the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) threshold, while 56% were below the threshold of 200%. The report’s map includes estimated food insecurity by race and ethnicity for select populations and places. The report’s methodology and data are also available. More Details More information on SNAP can be found on the state’s Department of Human Services website. Residents can apply online at COMPASS, via phone at 1-800-692-7462, or at a local county assistance office, which can be found online. Those applying for assistance will need to provide their name, birthday, address, gross income, and Social Security number. Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh are offering food programs to provide free meals for children while they are out of school this summer. The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center operates a walk-in food distribution program every Monday.
