As the cost of living rises and the holiday season approaches, many people are worried about how they will be able to afford to buy food and make nutritious meals.
According to research by Foodbank WA, 208,000 households in the state have experienced hunger at some time in the past 12 months.
The service, which assists people to access affordable food, has seen a dramatic increase in people seeking help.
Chief executive Kate O'Hara said in addition to providing food directly to clients, the organisation also provided information and assistance to people on how to make the most of the money they had to ensure they had healthy and nutritious meals.
More need a helping hand
"Before COVID we would assist about 200 households a day through our network. Some days this is now over 800," Ms O'Hara said.
She said there was a misconception about some of the people who accessed Foodbank's services.
"People would normally think that Foodbank really is for the smallest group in Western Australia, those that are facing really severe food insecurity," she said.
"The fact is, particularly today, we're seeing an increasing amount of working poor coming forward. Fifty-nine per cent of those people that access our services actually have paid work."
Food insecurity
Ms O'Hara said food insecurity was when individuals or households had limited or uncertain physical, social or economic access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally relevant food.
She said it often happened when a household needed to spend more than 25 per cent of their disposable income on food.
Ms O'Hara said there were two key ways food insecurity manifested.
"One we call moderately food insecure. That group have been able to get the basics and get their pantry and fridge somewhat full but they're having to reduce meal sizes," she said.
"They're really stressing about whether or not they're going to be able to cope with that budget.
"And then you go to severely food insecure and that's households that are going whole days without food."
According to Foodbank WA, one in three households had experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months while one in five households had experienced severe food insecurity during that time.
The organisation's research also showed poor diet could lead to chronic health issues like cancer, poor mental health, malnutrition, kidney and heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and being overweight.
Nutritious meals take some planning
Ms O'Hara said there were ways people could be more strategic about how they shopped and managed food at home to ensure they got the best value.
"Don't think that to minimise the spend on food means going to the quick solution. Fast food isn't the only solution by any means," she said.
"The better solution is [to] pick nutritious food, and that's why we're here, we can help provide that nutritious base at a really low cost."
Ms O'Hara said to be mindful of sticker prices and ask questions about what appeared to be a good deal.
"The packaging can sometimes be very persuasive. But go for the [cost] per 100 grams. Try to buy in bulk when you can, look at the five kilo bags of rice, that sort of thing.
"Don't shy away from beans and lentils and mince.
"Lots of fabulous recipes are available on the Foodbank website superherofoodshq.org.au … and that is really important. Think about making great meals."
She also recommended planning meals ahead of time.
"Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are really good," she said.
"Try not to get the ones in syrup and get it in juice … limit the convenience items, you know the pre-grated parmesan cheese, the sliced cheeses that sort of thing. When you look at the per 100 grams that gets quite expensive."
She also recommended generic supermarket brands to keep the budget in check.
"They are really good to look at because it's so important to consider that balance in your budget. A couple of cents here on one item, one dollar there on another item, it all adds up."
Ms O'Hara said there were other things people could do with food that may not be looking its freshest.
"Don't think [badly] about things that are in the bottom of the fridge … you [may] think, 'Oh, that celery is a bit limp'. Hey, chop it up and make an omelette," she said.
"You [might] think it's looking a bit daggy, but you can still get a good nutritious meal using it."
Foodbank WA also offers cooking classes for people of all ages and backgrounds in a purpose-built kitchen at their premises near Perth Airport.
Ms O'Hara urged anyone even potentially facing food insecurity to come forward and seek assistance.
"If you're trying to balance a budget, come forward as soon as you can, and reach out to one of our agency partners to get a referral," she said.
"You may not solve all of your food requirements with us, but it'll help in managing that budget and getting a lot of your food requirements together.
"We have things like pet food, nappies, household cleaning products, personal hygiene products, so you'd be surprised at the range we've really grown into of late."
ABC Radio Perth is supporting Foodbank WA as part of its 2022 ABC Gives campaign.
