Are You Stranded In A Food Desert?
In many urban and rural areas, food deserts are even worse. Grocery stores are few and far between, and fast food restaurants (if we can even call them restaurants…) are the only option besides the corner store. In places like this, eating healthy can be downright frustrating.
That’s why we’re all about Market Makeovers, a group of teens in South Los Angeles who are busting their butts to get healthy snacks in local stores–and they’re seeing real results. Check out this video to find out how they do it:
These teens are tackling the food desert from every angle. They’re hitting the streets of their communities to find out what healthy foods people like to eat, reporting back to food stores and even helping shop owners rearrange their displays to include healthier snacks. Even though the teens are part of a grassroots organization, they’re using effective research and marketing strategies to accomplish their goals. Now that’s something impressive to put on a college application!
Just because Market Makeovers is based in Los Angeles doesn’t mean you can’t make changes in your own community’s convenient stores. There are plenty of things you can do yourself or with a group, especially if you think outside the box. Market Makeovers started their mission by linking up with a store owner they knew personally. The store owner liked their ideas, gave them a try, and discovered that selling healthy food isn’t such a bad thing after all.
For more info about Market Makeovers, check out their website.
Do you have a hard time finding healthy snacks in your neighborhood?
Photo by Greencolander
By December 3
When there’s nothing good to eat at home, it’s easy to walk to the convenient store and pick up a snack (after all, that’s why they’re called convenient stores). More often than not, you’ll have a hard time finding healthy foods at these types of stores (not so convenient). After desperately checking—and double checking—every aisle for an apple, some instant oatmeal, or ANYTHING with nutritional value, you realize the ugly truth: You’re in a food desert.
