Vegetable Prescription Research Paper

Resources needed to accomplish this project included permission and approval by the University of Minnesota director of public health, which included meetings and interactions with data system personnel to initiate the first roll-out of SNAP information in an email. Met with personnel at Second Harvest Food Bank and received information on the SNAP program, phone conversations with MDH to further clarify the SNAP process. The public health student that started the Nutritious U Food Pantry was contacted and interviewed. Internet services to explore grocery stores within walking distance of the campus were needed, along with investigation into public transportation availability. Spreadsheet to perform side-by-side food costs and comparisons were

In South Central, Los Angeles, there is a food epidemic taking place among the population. For miles and miles, the only easily attainable food source is fast food; causing the overconsumption of un-nutritious, greasy, and fattening food. This is the problem brought to the public’s attention by speaker Ron Finley in his Ted Talks speech, “A Guerilla Gardener in South Central L.A.” Finley explains how everywhere he looks in his native South Central, all he sees are fast food chains and Dialysis clinics opened due to the lack of nutritious food. Finley views the lack of a healthy food source as a serious problem, and brings up

Considering the following statistics, it is clear why Hunger Free Colorado’s work is so important: Nearly 1 in 7 Coloradans struggled with hunger in 2013, facing times when there was not enough money to buy food for their families or themselves (Colman-Jenson, Gregory, & Singh, 2013). More than 1 in 5 Colorado households with children (22%) reported food hardship, facing financial challenges to put food on the table (Food Research and Action Center, 2013). More than 1 in 8 Coloradans lived in poverty, including 1 in 6 kids, during 2013 (Bishaw & Fontenot, 2014).

All food should be available to all people. The concept of this is dwelled on in the article, “Food justice and Food retail in Los Angeles” by Mark Valliantos. Throughout the article, Valliantos maintains the notion that healthy food should be within everyone’s reach, yet inner cities are still suffering from shortages of fresh produce. To see this issue in action, Valliantos documented this reoccurring phenomenon in Los Angeles. The author gives a description of two areas within the city of Los Angeles, and how they are economically divided based on the amount of healthy produce one has at its disposal. He makes note of programs that already exist to help low income families receive healthy foods that they could not afford. He also

Many areas in the United States contain an abundance of neighborhoods that function with little to no healthy food sources nearby because of the large number of people in poverty. With the fleeing number of locally owned grocery stores and convenient fast food restaurants sprouting in urban and rural areas, residents do not have an adequate quantity of fruits and vegetables readily available. The City of Baltimore defines a food desert as “an area where the distance to a supermarket is more than one quarter of a mile; the median household income is at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level; over 30 percent of households have no vehicle available; and the average Healthy Food Availability Index score [convenience stores, corner stores, and supermarkets] is low” (Food Deserts). Baltimore City today “ranks second among similarly sized cities for the number of low-income people living in food insecure areas” (Freishtat, 2014). Leaving eight percent of white Baltimoreans living in food deserts compared to the 35 percent of black Baltimoreans, and 30 percent of children living in food deserts in Baltimore alone (Buczynski, 2015).

Individuals who live in low-income areas have to rely heavily on fast food and cheap food from convenience stores because it is the only food close and affordable to them. People in poor neighborhoods are, “Confronted with a high concentration of poor diet choices” and, “End up eating a less healthy diet” because, “Few markets” offer, “Fresh fruit and vegetables” (Cortright 1). Even if

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) was established in1972. This federally funded program’s primary focus is the nutritional harm that hunger, and poverty creates specifically for mothers, soon-to-be mothers, children and infants (Blau and Abramovitz, 2014). This program has seen an influx of participants over the many years since its existence. Recently, in 2009 WIC underwent major changes that would benefit both mothers and their children. WIC required its participants to buy healthier foods and pushed grocery stores to provide healthier foods for the participants (Block and Subramanian, 2015). Most recipients of WIC are low-income and more than likely live in neighborhoods with food deserts.

Poverty is an issue that can be discussed at great lengths, but the real challenge is finding effective ways to reduce or eradicate poverty. It is important to spend quality time developing approaches to the issue of poverty and how to alleviate it. Individuals living in poverty lead a life of limited opportunities and one of these limited opportunities is access to good quality healthy food. The American Nutrition Association considers this lack of access as a Food Desert defined as, “parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas” ("USDA Defines Food Deserts | American Nutrition Association," n.d.). One way in which American’s can work towards a future with less poverty and eventually one with little to no poverty would be to eliminate the existence of Food Deserts.

The Quad Cities Area adult population generally fails to meet the USDA’s recommended dietary guideline of consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, with only 35.7% reporting meeting these guidelines (Professional Research Consultants, 2015). This policy analysis will review current community efforts within the Quad Cities area that are concentrating on improving fruit and vegetable consumption of area adults. Additional policy options to help increase access, knowledge and skills regarding fruit and vegetable consumption will also be reviewed in terms of strengths, weaknesses, feasibility, and economic impact.

For numerous amounts of people, fruits and vegetables may take a backseat to other foods such as junk food, but for many these healthy food choices are just not options. This is a very widespread issue that has swept the nation and the individual cities that formulate it. In particular, the lack of food security in Columbus, Ohio has had devastating effects for many residents, especially those who live in rural areas and the many underserved communities. These effects include being more prone to chronic diseases and unhealthy Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements. For adults “Twenty-five percent of Franklin County, Ohio, adults say they don’t eat five servings of foods and vegetables each day” (NLC). The residents of Columbus City should be able

Facilitated activities for the California Department of Health Services, Prevention and Nutrition Section: Champions for Change. As a community leader, I was in charge of delivering Champion for Change nutrition education information. I participated in several events such as the Fruits and Veggie Fest and grocery store demos. During both events, I was able to reach out to both English and Spanish speaking community members and share Champion for Change recipes and promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables and a healthier lifestyle. I interacted with kids by playing nutrition related games and shared with parents tips and information packets from the Champions for Change material.

Citizens have been struggling for far too long, and that is when former First Lady Michelle Obama created her own fresh food initiative, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, was launched and opened supermarkets in close reach to some of the most low-income neighborhoods. Many people would think the opening of closer stores would help the low-income families, but “a 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed no connection between access to grocery stores and more healthful diets using 15 years’ worth of data from more than 5,000 people in five cities” (Gilligan). The problem is not always what it seems to be, and sometimes many people forget that, Bruce McEwan, a researcher in biology believes strongly that there is other things behind low-income families not eating healthy.

I am currently attending Loyola University, in Baltimore, Maryland and I have witnessed only a glimpse of the mountain of food insecurity contained inside this city. Baltimore contains many areas that operate with little to no healthy food sources nearby, because of the large population that cannot afford these goods. With the fleeing number of locally owned grocery stores and convenient fast food outlets sprouting, residents do not have an adequate quantity of fruits and vegetables readily available.

The target population for this quality improvement project are individuals experiencing food insecurity. The specific population being targeted are those accessing the services at the One Roof Community Centre located at 99 Brock Street, Peterborough, Ontario. Peterborough, Ontario is specifically at risk for food insecurity, being that 11.5% of households experience food insecurity in this region (Peterborough Social Planning Committee, 2015). Additionally, one in seven children experiences food insecurity in Peterborough. Low incomes are not enough to cover the expenses of eating healthy foods (Peterborough County-City Health Unit, 2015).

As you look on to your plate, you come to see colors of green and yellow. At first it seems unpleasant until you take a bite and the freshness and steamy goodness touches your taste buds. As you chew, your eyes start to get bigger with excitement causing your smile to begin to widen. You have just now taken a bite of the healthiest food known to man, the vegetable known as broccoli.