Healthy Food in Orange County, CA: Free and Low-Cost Options

Are you looking for ways to get healthy food in Orange County, California without breaking the bank? Look no further! There are a variety of options available to help you get the nutritious food you need. From food banks and pantries to nutrition services and incentive programs, there are plenty of resources available to help you find healthy food in Orange County.

Food Banks, Pantries, and Distribution Centers

Food banks, pantries, and distribution centers are a great place to start. These organizations provide emergency food boxes, hot meals, and free food to those in need.

Additionally, the Orange County Nutrition & Physical Activity Collaborative (NuPAC) organization and the OC Breastfeeding Coalition offer information about healthy eating and physical activity through the WIC and CalFresh Healthy Living programs.

Orange County Homeowner Incentive Program

The Orange County Homeowner Incentive Program is another great resource. This program eliminates financial barriers such as rental costs, retention rates, reimbursement of application fees, assistance with damage claims, security deposits, etc. for landlords who rent units to the homeless as part of the County's housing programs.

St. Vincent de Paul of Orange County also has other churches and programs dedicated to feeding the hungry.

Free Emergency Food Pantries

Free emergency food pantries in Orange County offer groceries, food, personal hygiene items, and more. Senior centers also provide meals on wheels and surplus essentials for homebound people and for working poor older adults.

Additionally, more than three dozen restaurants in Orange County have offered approximately 6,000 meals under the program.

CalFresh

Orange County Supervisor Do has ordered county staff to reinstate plans to expand access to CalFresh to low-income families who have no means to store or prepare food or who may have limited access to grocery stores, farmers markets, and other health food providers. County staff have worked with the Colorado Food Safety Advisory Council and the Orange County Food Access Coalition to inform the community about the program.

AdvanceOC

AdvanceOC provides fresh, non-perishable food, help with rent and utilities, free computer classes, recommendations, and temporary housing for individuals and families in South Orange County.

The OC Equity Map is a data platform developed in partnership with AdvanceOC that highlights social and health disparities in neighborhoods in Orange County across multiple dimensions.

Korean American Older Adults Association of Orange County

The Korean American Older Adults Association of Orange County (address: 9884 Garden Grove Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92844) offers donated and surplus nutritious food in shopping bags or other containers to supplement the diet of people in need. Call (85) 233-3362 or 949-653-2900 for information about other pantries in Orange County.

The Salvation Army of Southern California

The Salvation Army of Southern California has several sites in Orange County with free soup kitchens, food pantries or thrift stores.

Finding healthy food in Orange County doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. With these resources available at your fingertips, you can easily access nutritious meals without breaking the bank.

Karina Diepenbrock
Karina Diepenbrock

Proud pop culture fan. Proud travel maven. Lifelong analyst. Incurable travel scholar. Incurable social media evangelist.