What its like to live in a food desert?

The most consistent characteristic of a food desert is having a lack of access to fresh, healthful food. Living in a food desert doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no food available; it means that there are no healthy options readily available.

What do you do if you live in a food desert?

Tips for getting nutritious food in a food desert

1. Choose frozen produce. Studies show that frozen produce has the same nutritional quality as fresh produce.
2. Load up on pantry staples.
3. Make big-batch stews.
4. Preserve your food.
5. Seek out community gardens.
6. Make your own kitchen scrap garden.
7. Share your story.

What are two negative effects of living in a food desert?

Without access to healthful foods, people living in food deserts may be at higher risk of diet-related conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

What is a social consequence of living in a food desert?

Food deserts are indicators of more than just socioeconomic injustice; they indicate public health and safety concerns for those living within their borders. Residents with a chronic lack of access to adequate food resources are shown to have higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Corapi).

What foods are available in a food desert?

There are not accessible grocery stores in many food deserts, so people do not have the option of eating fresh produce. Instead, they have access to cheap, fast, and easy food which typically contains excess fats, sugars, and carbohydrates. Examples of such foods include chips, candy, and soda.

How do you access healthy food in a food desert?

Maintaining a Healthy Diet in a Food Desert

1. Buy fresh when you can. If fresh produce is on sale, stock up!
2. Buy frozen produce. Frozen fruits and vegetables are fantastic choices for those living within food deserts.
3. Start a garden.
4. Take a multivitamin.
5. Choose the right packaged foods.

What do people in food desert eat?

A food desert can be hard to define, but in general, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that it’s an area that lacks access to affordable foods that make up a healthy, balanced diet. This usually includes foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, and whole grains, among others.

What makes a food desert?

Food deserts can be described as geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance.

What does desert mean in food?

1 : a usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal. 2 British : a fresh fruit served after a sweet course. Where does the phrase just deserts come from?

Why should we care about food deserts?

Because of the isolation within food deserts, many are left to rely on convenience stores and fast-food chains. The lack of access to healthy food is one of the main contributors to the higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease for ethnic minority groups and low-income populations.

Why should I care about food deserts?

How do food deserts affect the environment?

Over time, environmental problems such as drought, groundwater depletion, and climate change can significantly curtail food production and raise food costs. In turn, this can exacerbate public health problems such as obesity and malnutrition, and eventually lead to the scary situation of people going hungry.

What to do if you live in a food desert?

One of the most effective strategies to live by in a food desert is to have an abundance of common shelf-stable foods on hand, particularly if you live in rural areas with harsh winters. Don’t shy away from giant bags of dried rice or dried beans, or entire boxes of things like tomato sauce.

Does food cost more in food deserts?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that groceries sold in food deserts cost an average of 10 percent more than groceries sold in suburban markets, meaning people in low-income communities impacted by food insecurity may pay more money for their food [source: Hirsch].

How do food deserts affect your health?

How Food Deserts Affect Health. People who live in neighborhoods availability of healthy food is greater have a 45\% reduced incidence of diabetes over a five-year period. The economic environment also affects health. Families that move to non-poor neighborhoods show a significantly reduced body mass index (BMI).

How do people get food in the desert?

Even though deserts are synonymous with a lack of water, many types of plant can grow in the desert and provide food for human life. For example palm trees can grow easily in desert conditions and some palm trees produce fruit called the date palm. When ripe, date palms are sweet tasting fruits that are very nutritious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jicYbi-8ZNU