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.

Neighborhood Environments

January 1, 2009 | Journal Article

The availability of fresh produce and other healthy food options is better in higher-income and white neighborhoods. Complex relationships exist between dietary patterns, demographics and health. These relationships must be explored for the purpose of developing responsive health policy.

University of Buffalo Professor Encourages Planners to Create Communities That Facilitate Healthy Food Systems and Healthy Eating

February 22, 2010 | Story

Samina Raja's active living research includes a National Institutes of Health grant to study how well an effort to increase physical activity in youth works among children living in areas with high access and in areas with low access to parks.

Growing a Healthier City, One Garden at a Time

December 28, 2009 | Story

Father William Weiksnar, Vianca Salcedo and Alex Checo take a break from their work to smile for a photo. Increasing access to healthy foods is a key component of the Foundation’s strategy to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. And nowhere is th ...

Study Shows a Little Money Buys a Lot of Calories at City Corner Stores

October 12, 2009 | News Release

Fifty-three percent of kids surveyed visited a corner store daily, five days per week; Chips and candy top the list of items purchased, but efforts are being made to increase healthy options.

Philadelphia Project Works with Corner Stores to Improve Students' Snacking Choices

February 1, 2007 | Program Result Report

Staff at The Food Trust conducted a Corner Store Campaign to change the school and community environments to support healthy eating among children and adolescents.

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.

Monitoring Foods and Nutrients Sold and Consumed in the United States

January 1, 2012 | Journal Article

As food production and consumption change, researchers look to datasets to provide information on food in America.

Avoid SNAP Judgments

May 22, 2013 | Culture of Health Post

Supporting SNAP is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do, writes RWJF Vice President James S. Marks in an op-ed in the Huffington Post.

A Faith-Led Effort to Combat Childhood Obesity in Oregon

September 9, 2011 | Program Result Report

Staff at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon built and engaged two coalitions of faith communities - in Portland and Corvallis - government agencies, advocacy groups and others to improve the health of congregations and their communities.