There’s plenty to unravel here and it’s a mighty feat to try and tackle both the minds of those who choose to eat from convenience stores and the many networks of systems that lead to inequity. I’m also baffled by humans who choose to feign disconnection between the two. Girl, we should talk, because NEVADUH!!!
I lived in a part of Boston that was ostensibly a good desert, but if policy makers actually took time to walk through the neighborhood, they would see smaller produce and meat markets that were owned by and catered to immigrants, where they could get the ingredients and cuts of meat they preferred. Honestly, we preferred shopping in these markets because produce was better, cheaper, and had more variety than then major supermarkets.
The average grocery store is pushing high processed, unhealthy convenience foods, high sugar or high fructose corn syrup, high fat, high sodium. I see what folks are filling their carts with and now, not only is it the unhealthy but convenient stuff…that stuff has been most affected by inflation as well…$7.00 bags of chips, for example.
“Once we raise people up, supplement their incomes, raise wages, make the rich pay their share, destroy white supremacy, mend generational trauma, then food choices will change.“ Good article outside of this paragraph. If healthy foods are cheaper as you pointed out, raising wages is moot. “Destroy white supremacy”? Not sure what that has to do with choosing Takis over an apple. Don’t forget nutrition education. Nor accountability for one’s health.
Thanks for your comment. The white supremacy part is easy. If everyone had fair entry and existence and treatment in the work force then poverty wouldn’t be relegated to people who are already marginalized. Equity is important because it allows people to function at their best. We wouldn’t need DEI if people had equity. Appreciate you reading and commenting!
Interesting read! Based on teaching in Title 1 schools and fostering a teenager for a while, I agree with you that "taste for convenience" and household dynamics seem like much bigger factors in what foods people choose than whether the closest supermarket is within 1 mile distance.
I appreciated your mention of Desmond's book "Poverty." That and "Evicted" were so eye-opening for me.
Hilariously, right now, I have a closet full of expensive snacks from Whole Foods and my son and foster daughter are at the gas station buying some kind of crazy I would never have in my closets. It's an uphill battle. LOL.
I recently learned in 2021 from CBS News that I not only grew up in a food desert but currently live in one because the nearest grocery store was 0.7 miles away. Oh, the horror! I remember thinking to myself, “these neighborhoods aren’t food deserts at all!! They weren’t when I was a kid and they’re not now! Why paint such a bleak, inaccurate picture”.
0.7 miles and even 1 mile isn’t much in NYC. At least not in many parts, but it really does depend. For example, in the Bronx neighborhoods featured in the CBS piece, 0.7 miles can be walked in about 7-10 minutes, and is only 2 bus stops. In between are smaller markets that cater to whatever the broad, ethnic make up of the community is be it Jamaican, African, Italian, or Serbian.
I live smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood where I have very easy access to multiple grocery stores that are either 5 minutes away on bus, or 10 minutes. I have a choice between 2 Stop & Shops, a large market that caters to the cuisines of the aforementioned ethnicities, a Foodtown and a Fine Fare, all of which are bountifully stocked and always packed with people. However, it’s considered a desert because I have to travel a little over half a mile to get to these stores. My question is, exactly how close should a grocery store be? You know. I mean, compared to what? The Upper East Side? The distance has NEVER been an inconvenience for me, my family, or anyone I grew up with because the distance wasn’t too far. We’re not suffering because we have to take a 5 minute bus ride, Uber or cab ride or drive to the grocery store, or walk it on a nice day with a cart.
Also, the food desert folks have also got us common folk thinking “organic” is synonymous with “healthy”, so we think now that there are no healthy options around us because we don’t have a Whole Foods that specializes in carrying “organic” foods, when in reality, we have plenty of access to “healthy” foods in the fresh produce and variety that naturally exists in our ethnic cuisines. Sure, we could use less oil, but a lot of foods can’t be made without the vibrancy of healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs. Organic is certainly nice, but it’s not the definition of health. Perhaps a better option in some cases, but not the definition of health.
I could go on and on lol. I’m just very passionate about dispelling such a regressive myth.
My favorite (re: made me want to rant) story about food deserts was College Park, MD. The USDA said it was a food desert because there wasn't a grocery store in it. Nevermind College Park is a small suburb that's mostly taken up by the University of Maryland. Nevermind that the bus system in DC is actually quite good to get you from College Park to Riverdale or Silver Spring or Greenbelt where there are grocery stores. Nope, College Park needed a grocery store! ...So they built a Whole Foods. Cause /that/ makes sense.
There’s plenty to unravel here and it’s a mighty feat to try and tackle both the minds of those who choose to eat from convenience stores and the many networks of systems that lead to inequity. I’m also baffled by humans who choose to feign disconnection between the two. Girl, we should talk, because NEVADUH!!!
I lived in a part of Boston that was ostensibly a good desert, but if policy makers actually took time to walk through the neighborhood, they would see smaller produce and meat markets that were owned by and catered to immigrants, where they could get the ingredients and cuts of meat they preferred. Honestly, we preferred shopping in these markets because produce was better, cheaper, and had more variety than then major supermarkets.
The average grocery store is pushing high processed, unhealthy convenience foods, high sugar or high fructose corn syrup, high fat, high sodium. I see what folks are filling their carts with and now, not only is it the unhealthy but convenient stuff…that stuff has been most affected by inflation as well…$7.00 bags of chips, for example.
“Once we raise people up, supplement their incomes, raise wages, make the rich pay their share, destroy white supremacy, mend generational trauma, then food choices will change.“ Good article outside of this paragraph. If healthy foods are cheaper as you pointed out, raising wages is moot. “Destroy white supremacy”? Not sure what that has to do with choosing Takis over an apple. Don’t forget nutrition education. Nor accountability for one’s health.
Thanks for your comment. The white supremacy part is easy. If everyone had fair entry and existence and treatment in the work force then poverty wouldn’t be relegated to people who are already marginalized. Equity is important because it allows people to function at their best. We wouldn’t need DEI if people had equity. Appreciate you reading and commenting!
Interesting read! Based on teaching in Title 1 schools and fostering a teenager for a while, I agree with you that "taste for convenience" and household dynamics seem like much bigger factors in what foods people choose than whether the closest supermarket is within 1 mile distance.
I appreciated your mention of Desmond's book "Poverty." That and "Evicted" were so eye-opening for me.
Hilariously, right now, I have a closet full of expensive snacks from Whole Foods and my son and foster daughter are at the gas station buying some kind of crazy I would never have in my closets. It's an uphill battle. LOL.
Yup, that tracks 😂😂
Is it possible that supermarkets close down due to losing so much money because of theft?
I recently learned in 2021 from CBS News that I not only grew up in a food desert but currently live in one because the nearest grocery store was 0.7 miles away. Oh, the horror! I remember thinking to myself, “these neighborhoods aren’t food deserts at all!! They weren’t when I was a kid and they’re not now! Why paint such a bleak, inaccurate picture”.
0.7 miles and even 1 mile isn’t much in NYC. At least not in many parts, but it really does depend. For example, in the Bronx neighborhoods featured in the CBS piece, 0.7 miles can be walked in about 7-10 minutes, and is only 2 bus stops. In between are smaller markets that cater to whatever the broad, ethnic make up of the community is be it Jamaican, African, Italian, or Serbian.
I live smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood where I have very easy access to multiple grocery stores that are either 5 minutes away on bus, or 10 minutes. I have a choice between 2 Stop & Shops, a large market that caters to the cuisines of the aforementioned ethnicities, a Foodtown and a Fine Fare, all of which are bountifully stocked and always packed with people. However, it’s considered a desert because I have to travel a little over half a mile to get to these stores. My question is, exactly how close should a grocery store be? You know. I mean, compared to what? The Upper East Side? The distance has NEVER been an inconvenience for me, my family, or anyone I grew up with because the distance wasn’t too far. We’re not suffering because we have to take a 5 minute bus ride, Uber or cab ride or drive to the grocery store, or walk it on a nice day with a cart.
Also, the food desert folks have also got us common folk thinking “organic” is synonymous with “healthy”, so we think now that there are no healthy options around us because we don’t have a Whole Foods that specializes in carrying “organic” foods, when in reality, we have plenty of access to “healthy” foods in the fresh produce and variety that naturally exists in our ethnic cuisines. Sure, we could use less oil, but a lot of foods can’t be made without the vibrancy of healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs. Organic is certainly nice, but it’s not the definition of health. Perhaps a better option in some cases, but not the definition of health.
I could go on and on lol. I’m just very passionate about dispelling such a regressive myth.
Thanks for this article! 🤗
My favorite (re: made me want to rant) story about food deserts was College Park, MD. The USDA said it was a food desert because there wasn't a grocery store in it. Nevermind College Park is a small suburb that's mostly taken up by the University of Maryland. Nevermind that the bus system in DC is actually quite good to get you from College Park to Riverdale or Silver Spring or Greenbelt where there are grocery stores. Nope, College Park needed a grocery store! ...So they built a Whole Foods. Cause /that/ makes sense.
ha ha ha ha ha ha. That is nuts! This is a great example of the craziness around this topic. Thanks for the laugh.
This is so interesting, I wonder if it's an issue due to the disintegration of family
Hmmmm. I wonder if the inverse is true.... How does poverty aid in destabilizing families?
Very fair point. It's hard to work out
Yesssss, you nailed it.