Low Income Neighborhoods Need More than Grocery Stores

Over the past decade, grocery stores have been popping up in neighborhoods traditionally known as food deserts where residents had a lack of access to fresh produce. 

The common perception was, if grocery stores were added to these areas, it will help provide healthier dietary habits as opposed to having access only to fast food or processed food. 

However, research shows that only by adding grocery stores does not change people’s grocery shopping habits or dietary habits. Why is that? 

Food deserts are more common in low income and minority neighborhoods where families are often working multiple jobs, living paycheck to paycheck while having to take care of their kids on their own. Because of this, just by having access to a grocery store with fresh produce is not going to solve the economic inequalities. Communities need fresh healthy food they can actually afford, being paid a livable wage instead of working multiple jobs and the education necessary to put together a nutritious meal. While these big systemic changes will take time, below are some ways you can start combating it at a personal and community level.

Lack of food education leads to misconceptions such as fast food being cheaper and more filling than healthy food options when, research has shown that the price difference is minimal while the health damage is substantial. Habits also take time to change, especially dietary habits for families without a lot of time to prep ingredients and just need to put food on the table. Our bodies also get used to eating the same foods, craving the same amount of sodium, sugar and fat intake and craves it when the levels changes. Understanding all this, is especially important for young kids as their bodies are developing and adjusting to the food, they have access to or is provided.

On a personal level, here are somethings to begin gain awareness of:

Personal Level:

•  Learn how to read food labels (sodium level, sugar level, fats, ingredients)
•  Sodium level per day: less than >2,300 mg
• Sugar level per day: less than > 36 grams for folks high in testosterone; >26 grams for folks high in estrogen
• No trans-fats, less saturated fats (solid), more unsaturated fats (liquid)
• Buy fresh when you can, prep the fruits and vegetable by washing and cutting, then freeze them
• Buy unprocessed frozen produce over canned options high in sodium and sugar
• or canned items that has no salt of sugar added
• Meal prep ahead during the weekend
• Start a personal garden
• Look at up easy and fast-growing vegetables (ex. salad leaves & radishes)

Providing fresh produce can be done with more ease when the produce is locally sourced, reducing its cost and the miles it takes to make it available. Below are some options at community levels.

Community Level:

• Help your family and community to understand what it means to live in a food desert and with food insecurity
• Talk about ways in which you can make changes
• Discuss growing your own food, or introduce some of the following programs:
• Farm to school programs: providing kids with fresh fruits and vegetables
• Bus stop farmer marker: making picking up produce for dinner a part of the trip going home
• Farm to food pantry programs: reducing the processed foods available at pantries while increasing nutritional in take for communities that really need it
• Mutual aid food network: have different families rotate in prepping meals for each other, lessening the burden on a singular family
• Work with local retailers to start selling healthier food options that is also affordable
• Pair healthy ingredients that can make an easy meal in the same isle, reducing shopping time
• Work with school district on providing the necessary education to students 
• Cooking classes
• Trips to farms 
• Healthy food at the school
• Bring your ideas to policy makers

Overview of Portland's Infrastructure:  

Over 40% of Portland is considered a food desert.

Only 28% of folks can easily walk to food in Portland