Using fresh vegetables, sizzling fajitas, and mouth-watering frijoles, the folks at Growing Up Healthy’s Dinner Time Cooking Club are making more than just dinner, they're making friends. Growing Up Healthy is coalition of community organizations and neighborhood leaders who work together around grassroots initiatives, community education, and systems change in Rice County, Minnesota, all tied to considering the social determinants of health and their impact on the lives of community members in the area. Much of their work involves the area's Latino community. In 2007, Growing Up Healthy workers looked for ways to provide space for often isolated and fragmented Latino community members to socialize together. The cooking club was one of these ideas. The club ended up ...
Studies show that Latino kids tend to drink more sugary drinks than their peers, putting them at a higher risk for weight-related issues like diabetes. One California lawmaker wants to insure that people are aware of the health risks of consuming too much added sugar. State Senator Bill Monning, responsible for attempting to pass a sugary drink tax a few times in the past, introduced a bill that would require a warning label on any drink with added sweeteners that has 75 or more calories in every 12 ounces. Monning said his labeling bill is akin to health warnings already carried on tobacco and alcohol products and focuses on health risks that a broad body of science has clearly linked to sugary drinks. Updates:
The bill cleared its first legislative test on April 9th, ...
As families become more and more aware of the harms of consuming too much sugar, the sugary drink industry has been brainstorming ways to respond. Last year, Coca-Cola tested a new "mid-calorie" beverage they call "Coca-Cola Life" in Chile and Argentina. Coke Life has around 89 calories compared to the 140 in a regular Coke, and is sweetened with sugar and stevia. Coke plans to launch Coke Life in the U.K. this Fall. If the drink makes it to the United States, will Latino kids, who drink one more sugary drink a day than their White peers, switch to the lower-calorie option? Is this part of a solution to sugar over-consumption or just a ploy by a beverage company to retain customers in a declining market? Advertisements for the new beverage appeal to consumers' emotions ...
Over 55% of kids in the Waco Independent School District are Latino, and when summer hits, many of these kids are left without the free and reduced lunch they depend on for nutrition during the school year. Luckily, Waco ISD, the City of Waco Parks and Recreation, and the Texas Hunger Initiative have partnered to improve food access options for the children of Waco, Texas this summer. The new program, called “Meals on the Bus”, brings hot lunches to kids in certain designated sites in Waco. These air-conditioned school buses are loaded with hot lunches and stop at each of these designated sites, as kids are encouraged to come on board and enjoy a free meal. The summer feeding program, which runs from June to mid-August, is open to all children up to age 18, regardless of ...
Padres Unidos is a multi-issue organization led by people of color who work for educational excellence, racial justice for youth, immigrant rights and quality healthcare for all. Jóvenes Unidos, the youth initiative of Padres Unidos, emerged as young people became active in reforming their schools, ending the school to jail track and organizing for immigrant student rights. Both Padres and Jóvenes Unidos build power to challenge the root cause of discrimination, racism and inequity by exposing the economic, social and institutional basis for injustice as well as developing effective strategies to realize meaningful change. As part of the Freedom to Learn Campaign, parent members of Padres & Jóvenes Unidos called on Denver Public Schools to improve access to nutritious food and ...
More folks in Honolulu will be able to purchase affordable fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at farmers' markets, thanks to new EBT machines at a handful of markets in the area, including the People's Open Market (POM) sites . EBT machines make it possible for food assistance recipients to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the market. 15% of SNAP participants in the United States are Latino. The City and County of Honolulu currently has four market sites accepting EBT: On Tuesdays, at Waipahu District Park and Wahiawa District Park; on Friday, at Ewa Beach Community Park and on Saturday, at the Kalihi Street parking lot at (Kalakaua District Park). Hawaii participation in SNAP is currently at a historic high. An average of 94,649 ...
Farmers' Markets are popping up everywhere, from rural towns to bustling big cities. However, some areas are still lacking that fresh, local access to fruits and vegetables---and especially at affordable prices. Realizing a neighborhood farmers' market was missing, food justice advocates in South Bronx began planning their own farmers' market that could serve the highly Latino and somewhat low-income residents in the area. Their hard work is paying off. Starting Saturday, June 14th, Bronx residents will have a brand-new, convenient way to access fresh, affordable food. The South Bronx Farmers Market will be open every Saturday from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. until November 22. In addition to its convenient hours of operation, the South Bronx Farmers Market is in a key location with ...
A handful of lawmakers have proposed banning the purchase of sugary drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Although these attempts have yet to be successful, advocates say a ban like this would reduce chronic disease cause by obesity and excess sugar consumption. A study published in the June 2014 volume of Health Affairs tested this hypothesis. Researchers examined the impact of two proposed policies: a ban on using SNAP dollars to buy sugar-sweetened beverages; and a subsidy in which for every SNAP dollar spent on fruit and vegetables, thirty cents is credited back to participants’ SNAP benefit cards. Using nationally representative data and models describing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and determinants of food consumption among a sample of ...
When the last school bell rings, many kids head to after-school activities. The Boys & Girls Club has been a fixture of the after-school community for decades, providing programs and services that promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Recently, the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen, Indiana has made a four-year commitment address hunger and wellness issues. Around 30% of the population in Goshen is Latino, and many kids participate in programs at the local Boys & Girls club. One of these initiatives is planting and maintaining a new garden to get kids excited about eating healthy food. With the support of staff, attendees will be responsible for daily care and ...
