Purpose and Guidelines

At Tango Charities and Feed The City, we recognize the critical role that food and nutrition play in our participants’ overall health. In addition to breaking down barriers to food access, we are committed to offering our participants choices that enable positive health outcomes, help prevent diet-related chronic illnesses, and respect the cultural needs and dietary preferences of the communities we serve across North Texas.

 

Our Food and Nutrition Policy reflects our belief that every person deserves access to nourishing food, not just calories. This policy serves as our guiding principle for the quality of food we source, accept as donations, and distribute through Feed The City events and programs.

 

We utilize the Healthy Eating Research (HER) Nutrition Guidelines as our primary reference framework, and we are proud to partner with the American Heart Association to ensure our food offerings align with evidence-based standards for heart health and overall wellness.

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Overall Nutrition Commitments

Tango Charities is committed to prioritizing the health of every participant we serve. In practice, this means:

 

• We aim to maximize the proportion of food items sourced from "choose often" categories as defined by the HER Nutrition Guidelines, with a particular focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-sodium options.

• We partner with the American Heart Association and apply the AHA Heart-Check certification framework as a benchmark when evaluating packaged food items.

• We strive to distribute items that reflect the cultural and dietary diversity of the communities we serve across North Texas.

• We are committed to limiting high-sodium, high-sugar, and highly processed food items in our distributions wherever operationally feasible.

 

Food Purchases

When funding is available, Tango Charities commits to purchasing items that reflect our nutrition priorities and the cultural diversity of our community. Our purchasing guidelines include:

 

• We will prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and cooking staples that align with the "choose often" category of the HER Nutrition Guidelines.

• When purchasing packaged items, we will give preference to products that carry the AHA Heart-Check certification mark or that meet comparable nutritional standards.

• We will avoid purchasing sugary beverages, candy, or items that fall into the "choose rarely" category of the HER guidelines unless required by exceptional operational circumstances.

• We will leverage our partnership with the American Heart Association to identify additional purchasing guidance and heart-healthy product lists on an ongoing basis.

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Food Donations

Feed The City is powered by the generosity of our donors. Rather than turn away donations, we aim to guide our donors toward items that align with our nutritional priorities. Our approach to donated food includes:

 

• We have developed donor-facing guidelines and graphics that highlight preferred items for each Feed The City program, with a priority on low-sodium, low-sugar, and minimally processed options.

• Our preferred donor lists highlight items that are AHA Heart-Check certified or otherwise meet our nutritional criteria, making it easy for donors to make heart-healthy choices.

• We will accept all food donations in good faith. When preferred items are not available, we will accept what is donated and communicate our preferences positively and proactively for future giving.

• Donor communication materials, including social graphics and event sign-up instructions, will include our preferred ingredient lists and the rationale behind our nutritional priorities.

 

Special Programs

Feed The City Sandwich Events

At our signature sandwich-making events, all volunteer-donated ingredients are guided by our heart-healthy ingredient list. This list was developed in partnership with the American Heart Association and reflects the AHA Heart-Check certification standards. Preferred items include:

 

• 100% whole wheat or whole grain sliced bread (e.g., Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains, Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat)

• AHA Heart-Check certified pre-packaged deli meats, including lean turkey, chicken, or ham with no added nitrates, artificial colors, or MSG (e.g., Boar's Head Ovengold Turkey, Applegate Natural Oven Roasted Turkey)

• Pre-packaged real sliced cheese, with preference for lower-sodium varieties such as Swiss or provolone

• Plain yellow mustard only

• Full-size chips made with avocado oil or olive oil with minimal additives (e.g., Good Health Avocado Oil Kettle Chips, Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil)

• Fresh tangerines (Halos, Cuties) or whole fruit

 

Feed The City Snack Packs

Our snack packs are designed to provide recipients with a complete, balanced, and portable set of nourishing items. Each snack pack is guided by our heart-healthy standards and includes:

 

• One individual water bottle

• One granola bar that meets AHA-aligned nutritional criteria (e.g., KIND, RXBar, Larabar)

• Two tangerines or one apple, sealed in a zip-lock bag

• One tuna pouch (preferred, as the AHA recommends fish twice weekly for heart health) or one unsweetened applesauce cup

• A handwritten positive message on the bag from the volunteer

 

These snack pack standards apply across all Feed The City events and distributions.

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Broader Commitments

Tango Charities is committed to nutrition as a component of holistic community care. Our broader commitments include:

 

• We will continue to build and maintain our partnership with the American Heart Association, leveraging their resources, certifications, and expertise to improve the quality of food we provide.

• We are committed to health equity and recognize that access to nutritious food is a social justice issue. Our nutrition standards will never become a barrier to participation or donation.

• We will proactively communicate our nutrition values through our website, social channels, and donor-facing materials, helping our community understand why heart-healthy food matters.

• We will connect participants to additional food and nutrition resources as appropriate, including information about SNAP, WIC, and local North Texas food assistance programs.

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Administration and Implementation

This policy, approved by Tango Charities leadership, will take effect upon adoption and will become part of the organization's operational standards for all Feed The City programs.

 

The Chief Hunger Officer is responsible for maintaining this policy and communicating it to staff, volunteers, and donors. The policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains current with community needs, evolving nutritional guidance, and our ongoing partnership with the American Heart Association.

 

All volunteers and program staff will receive an orientation to these guidelines through our volunteer onboarding process, event sign-up materials, and donor-facing ingredient guides. Our heart-healthy ingredient list and related graphics will be made publicly available on the Tango Charities and Feed The City website.

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Policy Effective Date: 2026

Approved by: Tango Charities Leadership

AHA Partnership: American Heart Association, North Texas

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