Hungry for Change 

When Alex Chuck, 17, wants to top off his sandwich with a crisp piece of lettuce or pack a juicy orange for lunch, he’s often out of luck. It’s not an easy trip to grab a few bags of fruits and veggies in Washington Heights, his New York City neighborhood. Grocery stores that carry fresh produce are few and far between.

Instead, right outside his door are numerous fast-food franchises and corner stores that serve up sugary drinks, fried meals, salty snacks, and candy. And when healthy foods are inconvenient to buy or unaffordable, people end up eating junk food that is more readily available and cheaper. That can lead to serious health consequences.

So Alex decided it was time for a change: In 2021, he signed up to work in a community gardening program. For the past two summers, he’s grown produce for local families, including his own.

“It gave my mom some really cool, fresh things to cook with,” he says, including vegetables new to his diet. “That was the first time I made and tasted okra.”

The experience also helped open Alex’s eyes to what families across the country are missing out on.

When Alex Chuck, 17, wants to top off his sandwich with a crisp piece of lettuce or pack a juicy orange for lunch, he’s often out of luck. He lives in Washington Heights, a New York City neighborhood. Grocery stores that carry fresh produce are few and far between. It’s not an easy trip to grab a few bags of fruits and veggies.

Instead, right outside his door are numerous fast-food franchises and corner stores. They serve up sugary drinks, fried meals, salty snacks, and candy. And when healthy foods are inconvenient to buy or unaffordable, people end up eating junk food that is more readily available and cheaper. That can lead to serious health consequences.

So Alex decided it was time for a change. In 2021, he signed up to work in a community gardening program. For the past two summers, he’s grown produce for local families, including his own.

“It gave my mom some really cool, fresh things to cook with,” he says, including vegetables new to his diet. “That was the first time I made and tasted okra.”

The experience also helped open Alex’s eyes to what families across the country are missing out on.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.), nearly 19 million Americans nationwide live in places that have little access to affordable healthy food. These places are often called food deserts.

In an urban food desert, at least one-third of the population lives more than a mile from the nearest supermarket. A mile may not seem like much, but many people in urban areas don’t have cars and may lack reliable public transportation. They may need to walk, bike, or take a bus or train to get to a store, and then they have to carry all those groceries back home.

In a rural food desert, at least one-third of the people reside 10 miles or more from a grocery store. Many residents in those areas don’t have access to transportation, so they get their food at nearby gas stations or whatever stores are closest.

Giovanni Araujo-Castorena, 17, from Denver, says living in a food desert has made life difficult for his whole family.

“We usually have to go really far just to get fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, that sort of stuff,” he says. “And I’m sure other families in the neighborhood have also gone through that.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 19 million Americans nationwide live in places that have little access to affordable healthy food. These places are often called food deserts.

In an urban food desert, at least one-third of the population lives more than a mile from the nearest supermarket. A mile may not seem like much, but many people in urban areas don’t have cars and may lack reliable public transportation. They may need to walk, bike, or take a bus or train to get to a store. And then they have to carry all those groceries back home.

In a rural food desert, at least one-third of the people reside 10 miles or more from a grocery store. Many residents in those areas don’t have access to transportation, so they get their food at nearby gas stations or whatever stores are closest.

Giovanni Araujo-Castorena, 17, from Denver, says living in a food desert has made life difficult for his whole family.

“We usually have to go really far just to get fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, that sort of stuff,” he says. “And I’m sure other families in the neighborhood have also gone through that.”

Experts say that the type of food people eat affects everything from physical health to students’ performance at school—and that something needs to be done to address the lack of nutritious offerings in many communities.

“It’s a huge problem,” says Erica Kenney, an assistant professor of public health nutrition at Harvard University in Massachusetts. “We have people who are suffering because of not having access to healthy food.”

Experts say that the type of food people eat affects everything from physical health to students’ performance at school. They say something needs to be done to address the lack of nutritious offerings in many communities.

“It’s a huge problem,” says Erica Kenney, an assistant professor of public health nutrition at Harvard University in Massachusetts. “We have people who are suffering because of not having access to healthy food.”

Kenney and other experts point to a variety of factors that contribute to food deserts—the main one being money. In both urban and rural food deserts, residents often have low-paying jobs and typically live paycheck to paycheck or rely on government-run programs to purchase their food. Historically, supermarkets haven’t opened in places where they won’t make a big profit, such as low-income city neighborhoods or rural towns with few people.

Even when supermarkets do open in those areas, they often find it hard to stay in business. Healthy foods, such as fresh eggs, meat, and vegetables, are more expensive for grocery stores to keep in stock since they can’t stay on shelves for very long. As a result, stores may price those types of goods higher to limit their losses. But doing so also limits how much low-income customers can afford to buy.

Dollar stores have filled the gap in many neighborhoods, sometimes putting supermarkets out of business by offering lower prices. A recent study found that dollar stores are the fastest-growing food retailers in the country, especially in rural areas.

While some dollar stores carry a small selection of fruits and vegetables, the majority offer only discounted frozen meals and packaged foods.

Kenney and other experts point to a variety of factors that contribute to food deserts. The main factor is money. In both urban and rural food deserts, residents often have low-paying jobs and typically live paycheck to paycheck or rely on government-run programs to purchase their food. Historically, supermarkets haven’t opened in places where they won’t make a big profit. This includes low-income city neighborhoods or rural towns with few people.

Even when supermarkets do open in those areas, they often find it hard to stay in business. Healthy foods, such as fresh eggs, meat, and vegetables, are more expensive for grocery stores to keep in stock. That’s because they can’t stay on shelves for very long. As a result, stores may price those types of goods higher to limit their losses. But doing so also limits how much low-income customers can afford to buy.

Dollar stores have filled the gap in many neighborhoods. Sometimes they put supermarkets out of business by offering lower prices. A recent study found that dollar stores are the fastest-growing food retailers in the country, especially in rural areas.

While some dollar stores carry a small selection of fruits and vegetables, the majority offer only discounted frozen meals and packaged foods.

Prepackaged, nonperishable foods may be cheap, but the damage from eating too many of them can be significant. These foods are often highly processed and packed with sugar, salt, and fat. They also tend to lack important nutrients, like protein, that help us feel full and energized, says Kenney. People who eat junk food often end up craving more because they still feel hungry. The increasing reliance on such foods has led to a rise in diet-related illnesses in the U.S., including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

The kind of food young people eat also can affect the way they perform at school.

“If you don’t have enough healthy food to eat, you can really have trouble concentrating in class,” Kenney says.

Worrying every day about how you are going to get healthy food can be stressful, she adds.

“It’s not good for mental health,” Kenney explains. “It can lead to depression or anxiety.”

Prepackaged, nonperishable foods may be cheap, but the damage from eating too many of them can be significant. These foods are often highly processed and packed with sugar, salt, and fat. They also tend to lack important nutrients, like protein, that help us feel full and energized, says Kenney. People who eat junk food often end up craving more because they still feel hungry. The increasing reliance on such foods has led to a rise in diet-related illnesses in the U.S. This includes type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

The kind of food young people eat also can affect the way they perform at school.

“If you don’t have enough healthy food to eat, you can really have trouble concentrating in class,” Kenney says.

Worrying every day about how you are going to get healthy food can be stressful, she adds.

“It’s not good for mental health,” Kenney explains. “It can lead to depression or anxiety.”

The problem of food deserts isn’t going unnoticed—especially at a time when prices of many commonly purchased foods are higher than they’ve been for many years. Last September, President Biden committed more than $8 billion in funding to end hunger nationwide by 2030. About half of that money will go toward efforts to expand access to healthy and affordable food.

Policymakers are also looking at ways to make grocery delivery services more affordable for people in food deserts. That includes exploring how to help low-income households with the cost of delivery fees.

Small towns from Florida to Montana are taking matters into their own hands. Many have started community-run markets to supply produce and other offerings tailored to local needs. These markets are owned by residents, who share in the profits. For example, residents in Winchester, Illinois, started a community-owned market in 2018 to replace the grocery store that had closed in their town. The market’s milk comes from a local dairy, and vegetables are grown on a nearby farm.

Currently, the prices of many commonly purchased foods are higher than they’ve been for years. That’s bringing attention to the problem of food deserts. Last September, President Biden committed more than $8 billion in funding to end hunger nationwide by 2030. About half of that money will go toward efforts to expand access to healthy and affordable food.

Policymakers are also looking at ways to make grocery delivery services more affordable for people in food deserts. That includes exploring how to help low-income households with the cost of delivery fees.

Small towns from Florida to Montana are taking matters into their own hands. Many have started community-run markets to supply produce and other offerings tailored to local needs. These markets are owned by residents, who share in the profits. For example, residents in Winchester, Illinois, started a community-owned market in 2018 to replace the grocery store that had closed in their town. The market’s milk comes from a local dairy, and vegetables are grown on a nearby farm.

In other places, organizations are redirecting extra food from farms and stores to local people in need. Such food is often of good quality, but it gets discarded because it’s misshapen or close to the expiration date.

Cities and towns are also starting farmers’ markets to bring fresh options to food deserts. And in many communities, like Alex’s neighborhood, mobile markets are selling fruits and vegetables from carts and trucks at reduced prices to ease the problem.

“It seems like the places that are having the most successes are where people in the community have come together and worked on a solution together,” Kenney says.

Young people are playing an important role in these efforts. Giovanni and his classmate, Angel Sanchez-Martinez, 16, have begun working with a nonprofit organization called Teens for Food Justice, growing vegetables and other healthy produce for their school cafeteria and community in Denver.

“Usually when I leave school, I see a long line of families trying to get food and . . . leaving with the vegetables we grow here,” Angel says. “That helps us see that we’re actually [making] a difference for our community.”

The urban gardens Alex helped grow in New York City are also continuing to fill the fresh-food gap in his area. Learning Gardens, a City Parks Foundation program, teaches thousands of students to grow kale, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and more.

In other places, organizations are redirecting extra food from farms and stores to local people in need. Such food is often of good quality, but it gets discarded because it’s misshapen or close to the expiration date.

Cities and towns are also starting farmers’ markets to bring fresh options to food deserts. And in many communities, like Alex’s neighborhood, mobile markets are selling fruits and vegetables from carts and trucks at reduced prices to ease the problem.

“It seems like the places that are having the most successes are where people in the community have come together and worked on a solution together,” Kenney says.

Young people are playing an important role in these efforts. Giovanni and his classmate, Angel Sanchez-Martinez, 16, have begun working with a nonprofit organization called Teens for Food Justice. They grow vegetables and other healthy produce for their school cafeteria and community in Denver.

“Usually when I leave school, I see a long line of families trying to get food and . . . leaving with the vegetables we grow here,” Angel says. “That helps us see that we’re actually [making] a difference for our community.”

The urban gardens Alex helped grow in New York City are also continuing to fill the fresh-food gap in his area. Learning Gardens is a City Parks Foundation program. It teaches thousands of students to grow kale, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and more.

Showing young people the potential of local gardens—and teaching them how to grow healthy food—offers them ways to improve lives in their community, explains Shari Rose, the program’s associate director of environmental education.

Alex couldn’t agree more.

“We are taking that power back in what we eat and how we live,” he says. “You don’t just have to sit there and buy frozen chicken nuggets every night. You can have meals that are fresh.”

Showing young people the potential of local gardens—and teaching them how to grow healthy food—offers them ways to improve lives in their community, explains Shari Rose, the program’s associate director of environmental education.

Alex couldn’t agree more.

“We are taking that power back in what we eat and how we live,” he says. “You don’t just have to sit there and buy frozen chicken nuggets every night. You can have meals that are fresh.”

Additional reporting by Chrisanne Grisé.

Additional reporting by Chrisanne Grisé.