I love 88.7 KUHF.
As I was driving home yesterday (not hungry, because the chicken and dumplings soup I had for lunch was some kind of powerful), I heard this segment about food deserts in Houston. Nationwide, over 23 million Americans live in places that lack places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. This means that entire communities, entire generations, really, are growing up without the healthy options that are vital to a productive lifestyle.
A theme I have tried to stress throughout this challenge is how fortunate I feel to have not only the cooking and preparation skills to get me through the week, but the knowledge and education on how to make better food choices. Do I always make the best choices in my day to day life? Absolutely not. But I do have access, and that is major. There are three large grocery stores within a quarter mile of my house!
3,992,300 (15.3%) Texans receive SNAP benefits. How many of these individuals and their families live in areas like Sunnyside, Eastside, Third and Fifth Wards, which have been labeled food deserts? Even if you have your approximately $4/day for an individual to spend, if you only have processed and convenience foods available, you’re going to choose what is available.
Fortunately, Houston is working towards a solution. The awesome Houston Sustainability Director Laura Spanjian is not only promoting new supermarket development, but is also encouraging community gardens.
As for me, I am growing tired of oatmeal, and I’ve learned that while lentils take awhile to cook, they are well worth the wait.
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