Fruits and Vegetable Supplies For Low-Income Families: A Great Program in Fighting Obesity

A school-based program called "Brighter Bites" is designed to combine the distribution of donated produce with nutritional education along with a fun food experience for low-income families in food desert areas. Now fruits and vegetables can be easily made available in every table especially for low-income families.

According to a new study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), neighborhoods with low-income have limited access to fresh produce and so the needs should be answered. The study focused on the "feasibility, acceptability and impact of implementing a unique, school-based food co-op model to improve dietary behaviors and the home nutrition environment among low-income, underserved children and their parents."

"Brighter Bites" leader, Lisa Helfman, created the formula of combining the distribution of fresh produce with nutrition education and a fun food experience of food sampling and health promotion. She did this by participating in a local fruits and vegetables co-op. The program involved weekly distribution of fresh, primarily reclaimed produce sourced that are delivered from the Houston Food Bank to supply families for eight weeks during fall and spring. There are healthy recipe tastings featured along with health education both in the schools and for the parents at home.

America today is one of the top countries when it comes to obesity. This is because of unhealthy foods. When incomes drop, it means that families struggle to get healthy foods. Nonetheless, some nutritionists say that all Americans have the access to healthy foods but not everyone has the effort to acquire them. Now that the "Brighter Bites" have this program that "spoonfeeds" the somehow lazy ones, are we ensured that the obesity rate will decrease?

Some healthy diets can be inexpensive. If you are able to get McDonalds or KFC for lunch, then fruits and vegetables or even whole grains, seafood, and milk can be less expensive. Perhaps you just need to sit for a while and plan out your diet and your family's. No matter your income is, nothing is impossible if you plan it out well.