Mobile Food Market | Cambridge Food Bank

January 17, 2023January 17, 2023

Our Mobile Food Market Provides Affordable Produce to Make Fresh Baby Food

Making your own baby food is easy, efficient, and economical. Instead of spending money on prepackaged baby food, you can use fresh produce, grains, and meat that you have on hand. Best of all, you’ll know exactly what you’re feeding your baby.

Going the do-it-yourself route also gets your baby used to eating the same food the rest of the family does.

Homemade baby food is also more nutritious and tastier than some store-bought food as it is made from fresh, whole foods and nothing else.

Gena, one of our mobile food market customers enjoys visiting our weekly markets as she’s able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to prepare her daughter’s baby food with. On December 6^th, 2022, Gena shares

“Thanks for my haul today. Made applesauce for the baby and now roasted the squash, boiled the sweet potatoes and carrots to make baby food for the upcoming week.” Gena’s daughter is featured in the image.

Want to save money by creating your own baby food? Here are some easy-to-follow instructions and click here to see a list of our mobile food market locations.

Everyone can shop at our mobile food market and each week a selection of food will be available for a minimum, subsidized flat rate of $5. Our cost is $10 and those who can or wish to pay $10 or more can do so to support those who are living on a low income. The type and amount of food available at each pick-up will vary but there will be a minimum of 5 varieties of produce with 4 servings of each offered each week.

Thank you, Gena, for sharing your story. We hope you’ve inspired others to find affordable ways to create fresh baby food for their little ones.

December 14, 2022December 15, 2022

Jailynn enjoys cooking with fresh vegetables from the Cambridge Food Bank Mobile Food Market

The Cambridge Food Bank’s Mobile Food Market is our fresh produce market on wheels. The goal is to increase access to fresh local food at an affordable cost. The Mobile Food Market makes it easier for people to get the healthy food they need, and everyone is welcome.

Each week a selection of food is available for a flat rate of $5. Those who can or wish to pay more can do so in order to support those who are living on a low income.

👌 Subsidized $5

💵 Our cost $10

❤️ Pay it forward $20

Donations over $5 help keep the Market affordable for everyone

The type and amount of food available at each pick-up will vary but there will be a minimum of 4 varieties of produce with 4 servings of each offered each week. Did you know? In the last year, the Cambridge Food Bank invested $74,800 in food from local farmers which enabled the program to serve 7,983 customers.

This month Jailynn and her mother Leah visited our Mobile Food Market (MFM) set up at the Knox United Church in Ayr. The MFM offered Cabbage, beets, carrots, onion, apples, watermelon, and bananas! Quite the assortment and the perfect match for Patrick, our Mobile Food Market Coordinator’s Apple and Root Vegetable Coleslaw family recipe.

Jailynn and Lean were up to the task to create this family recipe and shared with us their wonderful experience!

Leah says “My family did have a chance to make the apple and root vegetable coleslaw and it was really good. My daughter had a blast putting everything in the bowl and especially shaking up the dressing. I’ve attached a few pictures.

From Leah Frey, and daughter Jailynn Lauzon”

Not only is this a fun activity for Jailynn to do with her mother but it is also very educational. People need balanced and proper nutrition at every age. When a child learns about nutrition, it sets a foundation for future eating and food preparation habits that they will benefit from as they grow up.

When we think about what learning about nutrition is like for a child, we can probably agree it is no easy task. Instead, we should consider making learning about nutritious food fun! According to Cognisprings, parents can work with categories to help their children make associations with healthy and non-healthy food options. For example, parents and their children can create a “rainbow” chart and try to check off each color daily to represent eating a balance of fruit and vegetables:

Red apple
Orange carrot
Yellow banana
Green celery
Blue blueberries
Purple eggplant

We encourage you to bring your bag(s) and check out our next mobile food market and you’re welcomed and encouraged to bring your friends, family, and kiddos too!