Maryvale on the Move works to influence and bring about healthy changes to Maryvale and Canyon Corridor--two predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Phoenix. Residents from the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix met for a series of workshops to provide input as to what improvements needed to be made in their community. Some expressed concern over a lack of lighting and a need for more physical activity and less junk food in their neighborhoods. Residents also made recommendations like installing a roundabout to calm traffic and establishing Farmers' Markets. After meeting with groups of local residents from these neighborhoods, and community organizations, Maryvale on the Move identified four goals. The four goals are: (1) create community gardens; (2) increase availability of ...
Minneapolis schools are changing their food offerings to provide a healthier environment for students. They have hired three extra kitchen employees to create a new menu and offer more variety to students. New menu items include orange chicken, wheatberry salad, black bean burgers, and roasted red potatoes- instead of fries. The way the food is prepared is the biggest and greatest change being made in Minneapolis schools. Instead of using all prepared and packaged foods, they are making more food fresh in their kitchens. Previously they only heated up pre-made pizzas, but now they now make pizzas by hand with a variety toppings like roasted vegetables and pepperoni. In order to create a new menu, and keep up with the preparation and cooking, the district had to hire two new prep cooks ...
Supermarkets and pharmacies are well-positioned in their communities to encourage folks to make healthier food and drink choices. However, some stores continue to promote sugary drinks over healthier options, like water. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) along with other advocacy groups and health professionals are calling on store owners to rethink how they market sugary drinks and to consider giving no and low calorie drink options more prominent shelf space. Little decisions like placing a case of bottled water at the check out line instead of soda is a small but effective way for a store owner to promote better beverage choices in the community. CSPI and others have crafted letters to send to large supermarket and pharmacy stores urging them to consider making ...
Farmers' markets around the country have tougher rules and regulations than your average supermarket. While these rules are intended to protect customers from unsafe food, sometimes the rules limit what a farmer can sell and how they can sell it, making it harder on the farmer to make money and harder for the customer to get fresh, healthy produce. A Texas bill signed into law in June 2013 hopes to relax some of these rules. H.B. 1382, introduced by Rep. David Simpson (R- Longview) relaxes some existing regulations and fees making it easier for sellers at farmers’ markets to provide cooking demonstrations and food samples to patrons. More samples and cooking demos means more folks are able to learn how they can use fresh, healthy produce to enhance their family's ...
In early April 2013 Lakeview Community Schools added salad bars, called fruit and vegetable bars because of their various offerings, at not only their junior and senior high schools, but also at some of their elementary schools. These salad bars help increase the consumption of fruits and vegetable for young students. Without salad bars, students are only given a certain option for fruits and vegetables, resulting in many foods being wasted. Often times young students who do not like a food or cannot eat it due to lost teeth or lack of ability (example: young students often do not know how to peel oranges or other fruits that are prepped at homes by parents) will throw away foods, not getting any of the nutrients they need from those foods. "Fourth-grader Cassie Rathbone had applesauce ...
Houston Independent School District (HISD) in Texas is further addressing the growing issue of childhood obesity by creating a well rounded wellness policy. "The new Houston ISD wellness policy, currently being drafted by the School Health Advisory Council [SHAC], will directly address the use of food as a classroom reward (as well the equally distressing use of exercise as a punishment)." says Bettina Siegel, author of the blog The Lunch Tray The USDA has been increasing policies on school foods and competitive foods, by making nutrition standards for school meals in the past, and are currently creating standards for competitive foods in school snack lines. However schools or districts themselves must take the next steps in changing their policies on standards for fundraisers, ...
Georgia is no stranger to the connection between hunger and obesity. Many low-income residents live in areas that have no grocery store close by but boast a variety of fast food joints, and rates of childhood obesity in those areas are high. Following the lead of many states and cities nationwide, Georgia has created the Georgia Supermarket Access Task Force, led by The Food Trust and Voices for Georgia’s Children. The task force has been meeting with key stakeholders, such as grocers and those in public health and agriculture, to talk about ways to get stores with fresh, healthy produce back into these areas. Check out the task force's work here! One great success story in the area is the Veggie Truck Farmers' Market, a weekly produce truck that accepts nutrition assistance and ...
Introduced in 2011 as part of the Farm Bill, this act makes changes across a wide spectrum of food and farm policies to: promote small, beginning and sustainable farmers; expand local and institutional markets for growers; increase access to local and healthier food options, particularly for low-income populations; remove or reduce barriers to the purchase of locally grown and produced food by federal nutrition programs; and more. Some aspects of the bill have been incorporated in the House and/or Senate versions of the pending farm bill. Learn more about the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs ...
The Houston Department of Health and Human Services has kicked off an initiative to set up farmers markets in underserved, inner-city neighborhoods. The initiative aims to provide easier access to affordable fruits and vegetables in Houston communities that lack access to grocery stores and other fresh food outlets. HDHHS organizes monthly farmers markets in the neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Magnolia and Fifth Ward, three communities where fresh food is not readily available. Live around here? Find your farmers' ...
