Pirates Charities, Food Bank team up for healthy recipes
Pirates Charities, the philanthropic arm of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank have teamed up to focus on nutrition for success by creating a series of recipe cards that will be made available to the public through various Food Bank activities.
The cards are sponsored and provided by the Pirates and the recipes were developed by the Pirates head clubhouse chef, Tony Palatucci. Each card features a recipe tailor-made for ingredients commonly distributed by the Food Bank through its network of pantries. Each of the recipes is endorsed as a favorite by a member of the team as a way to encourage children and families to get excited about trying new, healthy foods.
"We are proud to team up with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on this project to offer the families they serve more unique ideas for healthy recipes," said Patty Paytas, Pirates Senior Vice President of Community and Public Affairs and Executive Director of Pirates Charities. "Our players and staff certainly understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and this is a perfect opportunity to share some of Chef Tony's favorite dishes."
Joining Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle, featured players on the cards are A.J. Burnett, Josh Harrison, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker. Each of the six Buccos has a favorite recipe available through the card program.
"The Food Bank is focused on making sure that we are providing our friends and neighbors with healthy meal options, including over 6 million pounds of fresh produce in 2014," said Food Bank Food Safety & Nutrition Manager Jesse Sharrard. "Part of the challenge of distributing that much produce is making sure that the families we serve know how to use these fruits and vegetables, because they have a limited shelf life-and these foods are only nutritious once they have been eaten."
These new recipes come as an addition to the arsenal of education materials the Food Bank has been actively developing. In November of 2014, the Food Bank introduced its Recipe Rainbow app in partnership with UPMC that gives smart phone users access to healthy, easy to make recipes right on their phone. In addition, the Food Bank offers Kids Cook classes and other educational opportunities to teach the public about cooking and how to handle food safely. For more information on the Food Bank and the nutrition pieces it makes available to its clients and the public, visit www.pittsburghfoodbank.org.