Surviving In The Desert

A food desert is an area where affordable healthy food is difficult to obtain, particularly for those without access to an automobile.  Food deserts are also noted in rural areas and are most likely to be found amid low-income communities.   Food deserts can be at our schools and jobs because healthy food options are not accessible.  In some circumstances food deserts can be difficult to overcome because of environmental factors, in other instances better choices and preparation can overcome your environment. 

Most of us spend the majority of our time at our places of employment and with children at school.  During the course of a typical day, time can be limited in terms of eating lunch and snacks.  The food options that are accessible near your job or children’s school are usually unhealthy such as fast and processed foods.  That is why it is important to evaluate the environment you spend the majority of your time.  Preparing meals and snacks ahead of time to bring with you to work and/or pack for children’s lunches will help.

Meals should be planned just like everything else on your schedule.  Being a spontaneous eater will lead to poor choices.  Deep-fried popcorn chicken, tiny taters, bread, ice cream, ketchup, milk. A high-fat, high-sodium, low-fiber menu is a typical lunch at a typical American elementary, middle, and high schools.  In July 2012, school meals were required to offer fruits and vegetables to students every day under standards issued by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The Huffington Post reported in April 2013 that after just one year, some schools around the country are dropping out of the healthier new federal lunch program, complaining that so many students turned up their noses at meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables that the cafeterias were losing money.

Children are not forced to take the vegetables and fruits onto their plates; the standards require that the various food groups be offered.  That is why it is important that healthy food choices are taught and exemplified at home.

With busy schedules at home and work people are more inclined to go to drive thrus and eat out rather than prepare meals at home.  Preparing meals at home is better for your health and your wallet.  Cooking at home can lead to a 31-48% savings from your total food bill.  Preparing meals in bulk will be a time saver and help you be prepared each day.  Meals can be prepared for lunch and/or frozen to eat later.

For those living in low-income communities surviving in a food desert is more challenging.  In the Washington, DC area there are cases of food deserts that are impacting families and children.  Approximately 18,000 D.C. residents live in food deserts, where there are also high concentrations of children. In one such food desert, 39 percent of residents are children. And although Prince George’s County, MD has more food deserts, D.C.’s deserts have higher concentrations of children. In fact, only two food desert Census tracts in all of Maryland and Virginia have higher concentrations of children than any of D.C.’s food deserts: Norfolk, Va. and Anne Arundel, MD according to Elahe Izadi’s report in DC Centric in March 2011.

The pink areas are food deserts.

Prince George’s County, MD is reportedly the most affluent county in the United States for African Americans.  There is not a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s in the county and very few farmers’ markets. In March 2010 Wegman’s opened a store in Woodmore, MD, which is strategically located in the center of the county and visible and accessible off of a major interstate 495.  Wegman’s is considered a high-end grocery chain and offers their own brand of many products at competitive prices.  The Woodmore location has exceeded expectations with their success over the last three years.

These communities are not only food deserts, but exercise deserts as well.  Fitness and community centers, fields, and programs are not in these respective communities.  Crime in some areas makes it unsafe for children to play outside.   Poor nutrition and lack of exercise in theses communities impact children’s cognitive skills and health.    They live in these communities all their formative years and the lack of exercise and proper nutrition impacts their long-term health.  

We can fall into two different categories: not having the information to understand what eating healthy means and having that information and then choosing to eat unhealthy.  For those of us that have the information better choices and preparation is the answer.  It is debated whether government should get involved in school lunches and assisting communities.  Something has to be done!  It will take a combined effort of government, schools, health and wellness industries, and other in the public and private sector working together to improve communities.