The (mis)perception that healthy food is only for the elite has to change. Here's how we can make that happen, and why we must.
The (mis)perception that healthy food is only for the elite has to change. Here's how we can make that happen, and why we must.
The most compelling word on my mind lately: accessibility.
As a natural foods editor, I know all too well the common (mis)perception that eating healthy is only for the well-to-do. I’m still haunted by a video clip from a New Hope consumer research project in which one interviewee described organic and healthy food as “an elitist preoccupation.”
Simply put, this has to change. And that involves at least two major things: availability and education.
Determined change-makers are tackling the first challenge—making healthy, fresh food easily obtainable and affordable to people everywhere—in amazingly innovative ways, as writer Lisa Marshall details in “Within Reach.” I love the stories of mobile markets that truck locally grown vegetables to needy neighborhoods and refurbished urban warehouses growing fish and greens for local stores, examples of real solutions with scale-up potential.
The second challenge—education and information—is where Delicious Living steps in, along with the myriad resources you’ll find day in and day out at your local natural retailer (cooking classes, partnerships with food banks, and targeted frequent sales, to name a few). Although we have always championed fresh and organic foods, it’s also important to widen the “healthy” conversation to include frozen, canned, dried, and other budget-conscious options.
The real key: cooking at home! In “Eat Healthy on a Budget,” chef Alan Roettinger provides good-for-you, delicious recipes made with easily available ingredients that total less cost per serving than even the daily SNAP (food-stamps) allowance.
Accessibility as a goal is so crucial that we’ve created a special section on our website to help anyone eat and be healthier, whatever the budget or time constraints. Check it out at deliciousliving.com/healthy-and-affordable; we'll be adding more recipes, articles, and news every month. And please share your challenges on our social media sites; we’ll do our best to give you real, workable solutions.
Photo: Roberthyrons / Thinkstock
