Two majority-Latino communities are among the four winners of the 2018 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize! San Antonio, Texas (63.6% Latino) and Cicero, Ill. (88.8% Latino) were chosen from nearly 200 applicants. Eatonville, Fla., and Klamath County, Ore., also won. These communities made strong efforts to build a culture of health is where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. They brought neighborhood, school, and business partners together to improve health for all residents. Winning communities get a $25,000 prize and will have their inspiring stories shared by RWJF. “These inspiring places are engaging community members in decision making to give all residents the opportunity to live well, no matter where they ...
About 1 in 6 children are food insecure. They don't know where their next meal is coming from. Fortunately, your school can help these students! The new Salud America! "School Food Pantry Action Pack" is a free guide to help school personnel talk to decision-makers, work through logistics, and start a School Food Pantry to help hungry students and reduce local food insecurity. A School Food Pantry accepts, stores, and redistributes donated and leftover food to students. The Action Pack was created by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Ramirez had input from Jenny Arredondo, nutrition director at San Antonio ISD, who started school food pantries on 10 campuses in 2017-18, based on a Texas law change led by Diego Bernal. Get the ...
Food swamps cover large parts of the Dallas area. In fact, almost 700,000 Dallas County residents—including more than 245,000 children—live in low-income communities with limited supermarket access, according to a Dallas Morning News report.
Food Swamps & Latinos
We already know that food deserts and food swamps are making low-income Latinos obese. A food desert is an area more than 2 miles or 15 minutes away from a grocery store. A food swamp includes a food desert and a high-density of stores and restaurants that offer high-calories fast food and junk food, relative to healthier food options. It can be hard for Latina mothers to navigate food swamps. For Dallas’ Latino and black populations in areas like Pleasant Grove, Oak Cliff, and East Dallas, food ...
Food insecurity affects at least 1 in 6 U.S. children. In states like Texas, 15% of children go home from school wondering where their next meal will come from. Sadly, food insecurity is linked to behavioral and developmental problems. It also contributes lower performance on tests, absenteeism, and grade repetition. But there is good news! Texas public schools can address food insecurity and reduce food waste thanks to a new law that allows schools to redistribute food to students by starting its own School Food Pantry! Register for our webinar on Aug. 28 to get free tools to help you start a School Food Pantry in your school. Or bring food pantries to many schools in your district! Our webinar will feature two Salud Heroes, Texas State Rep. Diego Bernal and Jenny ...
A leading pediatricians’ group is warning families on chemicals in processed food and the use of plastic food containers, while encouraging more whole fruits and vegetables, according to The New York Times. Previous studies have shown how chemicals used in an array of fast food packaging can be dangerous to consumers. Now the American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents 67,000 of U.S. children’s doctors, have released a statement and technical report that is concerned about rising evidence "that certain chemicals that enter foods may interfere with the body’s natural hormones in ways that may affect long-term growth and development." The pediatrician’s group is asking for further rigorous testing and regulation on the countless of food additive chemicals as well as ...
Does your town have a farmers market? If not, you might miss out on healthy fresh produce. Farmers may fail to engage in the local economy. To celebrate the Farmers Market Coalition's National Farmers Market Week on Aug. 5-11, 2018, we at Salud America! are showcasing the benefits of farmers markets as a way to increase access to fruits and vegetables among Latino and all populations!
Farmers Markets Can Help Latinos
Latinos frequently live in food swamps. In these swamps, Latinos have no easy access to supermarkets and farmers’ markets, while abundant access to fast food and corner stores. This results in overconsumption of unhealthy foods, according to a Salud America! research review. The number of U.S. farmers’ markets has more than doubled. But many of these markets ...
Want to help help Latino and all kids achieve good health? Check out new research that identifies several key ways to reduce sugary drink consumption among children ages 0-5. The research, published in July 2018 in the journal Obesity Reviews by Healthy Eating Research, analyzed 27 studies that assessed an intervention to decrease sugary drink consumption is high-income countries. "Overall, evidence suggests that interventions successful at reducing SSB consumption among 0- to 5-year-olds often focused on vulnerable populations, were conducted in preschool/daycare settings, specifically targeted only SSBs or only oral hygiene, included multiple intervention strategies, and had higher intervention intensity/contact time," according to the research.
Strategy Suggestions From The ...
Did you know Latino kids consume more sugary drinks than the average kid? Finally, there's some good news for Latino and all kids and families in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court voted to uphold the city's sweetened beverage tax in July 2018. The tax is the first of its kind in a big city. It aims to reduce sugary drink consumption and raise funds for health and education. “Today’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of Philadelphia’s sweetened beverage tax is a major victory for the city’s children and families," wrote Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, in a statement.
The Philly Sweetened Beverage Tax
Sugary drinks—soda, sports and energy drinks, sugary fruit juices, and flavored milk—contribute to the ...
Not sure if a snack food for your school or afterscool program meets federal nutrition guidelines? Check out the new Healthier Generation Store with Amazon Business, a first-of-its-kind online marketplace committed to selling products that align with the USDA Smart Snack in School Standards. The store was created by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. "The Healthier Generation Store was created to provide schools and sites with an option that may help them more easily access products that meet nutritional guidelines," according to the Alliance website. "[Store] products were determined to meet nutrition standards by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation based upon products’ ingredient statement and Nutrition Facts panel." The store aims to support schools and groups ...
