What’s in the Bag?

One NC State student who sampled Stop Hunger Now’s fortified rice-soy meal said it tastes like Ramen Noodles – indeed, a residence-hall staple almost every college student could identify with. Others say it’s more “Rice-a-Roni,” and toss in extra spices, tofu or meat to the dish, to make it even heartier.

At just 25 cents per serving, the meals-in-a-bag are cheaper, and much more nutritious, than their store-bought counterparts. Each bag feeds six people, and a 20-minute boil in water is all it takes to put dinner (which also contains a mix of carrots, onions, tomatoes, celery, cabbage and bell peppers) on the table. No other preparation is required.

“I was extremely surprised by how good it tastes,” said Ryan Shalley, a communications major from Greensboro, NC. “When I think of feeding the hungry, I never thought about the taste but more about the actual nourishment of food.

“I was shocked by the flavor in the meal and happy to know that the people we were helping were not only being fed, but enjoying what they ate.”

Each meal is low in fat, high in protein, and jam-packed with more than 20 vitamins and minerals especially fortified for the undernourished. And, with a five-year shelf life, the bags are truly portable and can go a long way toward eradicating hunger and malnutrition among the less fortunate around the world.

“I love Stop Hunger Now rice – I like it more than any other food I’ve ever had,” said Jean Kendy, a second-grader at the Cite Soleil School in Port Au Prince, Haiti. “When my parents [have to] send me to school without anything to eat, they don’t worry because they know I will eat at the school.

“I pray every day for the people who sent the rice.”