Healthy Affordable Food

RWJF Priority: Increase access to high-quality, affordable foods through new or improved grocery stores and healthier corner stores and bodegas

Research shows that having a supermarket or grocery store in a neighborhood increases residents’ fruit and vegetable consumption and is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) among adolescents. Yet, many families do not have access to healthy affordable foods in their neighborhoods. This is especially true in lower-income communities, where convenience stores and fast-food restaurants are widespread, but supermarkets and farmers’ markets are scarce.

Childhood Obesity Policy Priorities

Health policy snapshot

Do All Americans Have Equal Access to Healthy Foods?

Millions of Americans do not have access to healthy, affordable foods. Supermarkets provide the most reliable access to nutritious and affordable produce.

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From Bridging the Gap

Zoning for Healthy Food Access Varies by Community Income

Community zoning policies are more likely to allow fast-food restaurants and retail stores than supermarkets and grocery stores.

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From Healthy Eating Research

Changes to WIC Program Improve Access to Healthy Foods and Beverages Without Increasing Costs

Corner stores, convenience stores, and bodegas in two lower-income North Philadelphia neighborhoods began carrying healthier foods after the federal government made changes to a popular food aid program.

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From the Food Trust

Harnessing the Power of Supermarkets to Help Reverse Childhood Obesity

This report identifies “win-win-win” solutions for consumers, retailers and manufacturers.

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Winning strategies in the fight against childhood obesity

Pittsburgh-Area Supermarket a Showplace for Healthier Food Options

Thanks to a state grant and loan program, Safran Brothers Shop & Save is a gleaming, up-to-date store and a business that is adding jobs to this economically depressed area.

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From the Hudson Institute

Lower-Calorie Foods: It's Just Good Business

Restaurant chains that serve more lower-calorie foods and beverages have better business performance.

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3 p.m. to Bedtime: Crunch Time for Children and Obesity

Crunch Time: Challenges and Solutions

A poll reveals that many parents face a variety of barriers to helping their children lead healthy lives, especially during the "crunch time" from 3 p.m. to bedtime.

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More Research and Resources on Healthy Affordable Food

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Sprouting Healthy Kids Promotes Local Produce and Healthy Eating Behavior in Austin, Texas, Middle Schools

October 8, 2010 | Program Result Report

The Sustainable Food Center partnered with six middle schools in Austin, Texas, to implement a program to increase children's knowledge of the food system, their consumption of fruits and vegetables and their access to local farm produce.

A New Light Rail Line with Stops in Low-Income Neighborhoods

August 4, 2010 | Program Result Report

ISAIAH, a faith-based community organization of 90 congregations, mobilized community activists to promote the links between transportation and access to healthy foods and to bring light-rail stops to low-income neighborhoods in the Twin Cities.

Food Insecurity Among Children and Families

April 1, 2010 | Report

Synthesis from Healthy Eating Research finds little evidence of a direct link.

Somerville Farmers' Market Makes Healthy Eating Affordable for All

January 27, 2009 | Program Result Report

The partnership recognized that in order to accomplish its goals, all of its strategies needed to be culturally, linguistically and economically appropriate for community residents.

Durham, N.C., Teens' Inner-City Organic Garden Feeds Their New Demand for Vegetables

August 1, 2007 | Program Result Report

South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces (SEEDS) in Durham, N.C., expanded Durham Inner-City Gardeners (DIG) - a program that teaches teenagers about organic farming and healthy eating habits.

Creating Gardens in 15 North Carolina Counties

September 20, 2009 | Program Result Report

FirstHealth is a nonprofit health system covering 15 counties with a network of hospitals, health and fitness centers, primary and dental care centers, and a hospice and home care program.

Principles for Framing a Healthy Food System

July 1, 2009 | Journal Article

A healthy food system is one in which everyone has daily access to a diet that allows for a full life, that does not deplete natural resources and allows for a sustainable livelihood by those involved with all aspects of food production. The author suggests seven principles that could be used in moving the United States toward a markedly improved food system.

Physical, Consumer, and Social Aspects of Measuring the Food Environment Among Diverse Low-Income Populations

April 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article examines the food environment in low-income settings ranging from urban to very remote. It identifies challenges of measuring food environments across these settings and lays out solutions to assess food environments in a robust and practical manner.

Measuring Food Availability and Access in African-American Communities

April 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article examines the study of food environments in African-American communities. The increase in obesity in the United States disproportionately impacts African-Americans as well as other minority groups.

Measures of the Food Environment

April 1, 2009 | Journal Article

This article reviews the relatively new body of research on the food environment, offering a systematic effort to examine its findings and advance the field.