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Latino communities often have more access to fast food and corner stores with less access to healthy foods, so ensuring healthier food access is available in corner stores is an important avenue to help bring healthier foods and diets to Latino neighborhoods.
Research shows that increased access to supermarkets can help Latino communities economic vitality and is linked to healthier body weights, so how can corner stores play a part in healthier food access for Latinos?
A new guide from the Food and Nutrition Service of USDA can help corner stores sell healthier foods, with strategies on marketing and displaying healthy food and beverage options, sourcing these options and making changes to their overall stores.
The Healthy Corner Store Guide helps corner store owners learn how to sell fruits and vegetables with examples like how sales are impacted by putting foods at eye level, at checkout counters, and at entryways. The guide is available in Spanish and in English and also encourages corner stores to accept SNAP dollars.
The guide also explains how corner stores can become ideal places for public health interventions, where Latino youth’s high schools are within 1,300 to 2,600 feet of convenience and snack stores.
The guide goes into detail on the important key aspects in ensuring a healthy corner store, like partnerships, incentives, marketing, and funding.
Latinos are often at higher risks for diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Offering healthier foods in corner stores, which are often more numerous in Latino neighborhoods, may help increase access to healthier foods, encourage healthier diets for the Latino population and in turn, create an overall healthier community.
To learn more click here, or find tips for healthy budget dishes and recipes in Spanish here.
By The Numbers
1
Supermarket
for every Latino neighborhood, compared to 3 for every non-Latino neighborhood
