KU News Release

Graduation stories: KU student helps turn pantry staples into delicious meals

Paula Pyle

LAWRENCE — Making a tasty, healthy meal with items available at a food pantry can be a challenge. Paula Pyle, a nontraditional student at the University of Kansas, is trying to make it a little easier.

Pyle is preparing a resource book that addresses basic concepts of planning and preparing meals for families on a budget. She got the idea while working at at the DeSoto Multi-Service Center, an outreach center of Johnson County Human Services and Aging. This semester, Pyle worked at the center 16 hours per week as part of her practicum requirements to earn a bachelor’s degree in social welfare.

“I want to make their lives a little less chaotic and provide tips and a nice resource,” Pyle said.

Pyle’s book will show how to make meals from typical food pantry items such as peanut butter, tuna, canned vegetables, dry beans and macaroni and cheese.

For example, she said, tuna and noodles are always a food pantry staple, but families need additional fresh ingredients to turn those items into a complete meal. Pyle’s book is full of tips on how to substitute for key ingredients in a pinch and how to save money at the grocery store when fresh items are needed.

Canned salmon is another item often found in a food pantry, Pyle said, but is frequently left untouched. She suggests making salmon patties by mixing in eggs and crackers and pan-frying. Ramen noodles are another pantry item that are not very nutritious or filling on their own, but simply toss out the seasoning packet, add some canned peas and tomato sauce and presto — a pasta dish.

Pyle also hopes the book will inspire low-income families to skip fast food. It’s quick and easy, but it’s also expensive and unhealthy. The book will include a guide on social activities that surround mealtime, such as how to set a table and the importance of eating together as a family.

“The idea is to stretch the food dollar and to cook at home more often,” she said.

Pyle lives in Gardner with her husband, Kirk, and their two teenage children. Pyle said she and her family try to sit down for dinner five nights a week, no matter how busy they are.

“It’s so important for people to spend mealtime together,” she said.

This month, in addition to graduating from KU, Pyle hopes to finish the resource book and distribute it among the five Johnson County outreach centers. In June, she will begin the graduate program in KU’s School of Social Welfare.

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