Hunger Action Month: Why CBS7 is asking for peanut butter

ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - At CBS7, we’ve spent the last month asking viewers for peanut butter. You may wonder, why peanut butter?

Well, for Hunger Action Month, CBS7 is partnering with the West Texas Food Bank to host the Peanut Butter Brigade. It’s a month-long collection of this pantry staple at area businesses. Next week, a truck will pull into Music City Mall for the final day of the brigade and we can’t fill it alone.

Peanut butter fulfills a unique need at the food bank. This family favorite is full of protein, carbs and heart healthy fats, said Kayla White, a dietitian and external programs manager at West Texas Food Bank.

“Lots of different vitamins and minerals in peanut butter and then there’s also the type of fat that’s in peanut butter,” White said. “[It] is mostly the type of fat that’s beneficial to our hearts versus the type of fat that’s in, let’s say like bacon or butter or something like that, that’s not as beneficial for our hearts.”

That’s a recipe for feeling satisfied and energized.

“Another big, kind of helpful part of peanut butter is it helps you feel full,” White said. “It’s really satisfying because it has fat in it. That’s what makes you feel full. It has fiber too. And then it also has protein. Those are kind of the three parts of food that help us feel full.”

Unlike most sources of protein, peanut butter stays fresh for months. It also requires no preparation or refrigeration, removing the barriers of difficult living situations.

It’s also convenient for families and liked by kids. People can toss it in oatmeal, eat it on fruit, make a sandwich or eat it by the spoonful.

Its healthy caloric density also improves the health of people facing hunger-related health issues, said Florence McDonald, a dietitian at Medical Center Hospital.

“A lot of times with people who are food insecure, there are also a lot of other health conditions that they may have,” McDonald said. “We’ll see this kind of cycle where people don’t have access to healthy nutritious food and that could make their health conditions get worse.”

Last year, about 46,000 pounds of peanut butter were collected during Hunger Action Month for the brigade. WIll we top it this year?

People can also join us at Music City Mall on Sept. 28 for Peanut Butter Brigade day.

Donate in Midland:

• Grace & Hustle
• Texas Roadhouse
• First H&H Holdings
• Miss Cayce’s Wonderland
• Advance Electrolysis
• Texas Sun Winery
• MeliRose Boutique

Donate in Odessa:

• Standard Structures
• CBS7 Studios in Music City Mall
• Denta Dental
• Permian Machinery Movers
• Jordan Elementary
• Flex 24 Fitness
• Merle Norman
• MeliRose Boutique

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