Food Insecurity in Texas

Food Allergy Allies works exclusively within Texas (specifically the city of Houston) to provide free allergy friendly foods to people in need with food allergies. Today, we are going to take a look at what food insecurity in Texas looks like, and how this compares to the rest of the nation.

1 in 7 Texans experiences food insecurity
feedingAmerica.org

Food insecurity refers to the inability to consistently access affordable, readily available, and healthy food. For example, take a look at the following examples of food insecurity:

Members of a family skip meals to ensure there is enough food for others
A family without a car lives 5 miles from the nearest grocery store
A family can afford fast food, but not fresh vegetables
Choosing between paying for food or paying for other necessities such as utilities, gas, school supplies, clothing, etc.
Relying on food stamps, banks, or pantries to obtain enough food
Living in a remote community where grocery stores rarely stock fresh food
Lacking access to food allergy or diabetic friendly foods

20% of children in Texas face food insecurity
feedingtexas.org

Texas has a high rate of food insecurity. In America, 12% of people experience food insecurity; in Texas, 13% of people experience food insecurity. Children, senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities, and people of color are disproportionately affected by food insecurity compared to other communities. For example, 1 in 5 Texas children experiences hunger. That’s right, 20% of children in Texas faces hunger, which is linked to significant physical, social, and emotional ramifications. Here is how food insecurity in Texas compares to the rest of the nation:

Texas	America
13% of people face food insecurity	12% of people face food insecurity
1 in 7 people face food insecurity	1 in 8 people face food insecurity
11% of households with seniors are food insecure	12% of senior citizens are food insecure
4 million people struggle with hunger	41 million people struggle with hunger
Poverty rate is 13.53%	Poverty rate is 14.4%