Written by
Lynne Valencia
DENVER - Most people know that fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are sweet, crunchy, juicy, and refreshing. Adults are generally advised to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily to ensure proper nutrition and a healthy weight. But have you ever noticed that fresh fruits and vegetables aren't always available or are very expensive?
"A Half-Empty Plate" by the Food Research and Action Center reports that a disturbingly high percentage of Coloradan households - nearly one in 10 - have experienced difficulty obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables. The report contains an analysis of data collected by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index project. Every day since Jan. 2, 2008, interviewers have asked 1,000 households, "In the city or area where you live, is it easy or not easy to get affordable fresh fruits and vegetables?"
The rates of difficulty in obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables are higher in Colorado than the U.S. average, and higher for families with children. In Colorado, nearly 11 percent of households with children reported difficulty obtaining fruits and vegetables between 2008 and 2010.
Not surprisingly, low-income households and people in poor health experience much greater difficulty obtaining affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Among households across the years 2008-2010, 8.2 percent of respondents reported that it was "not easy to get affordable fresh fruits and vegetables." But those with annual household incomes less than $24,000 were 2.5 times more likely to report difficulty (13.8 percent) than those with incomes between $60,000 and $89,999 (5.7 percent). Families that have experienced food hardship, or the inability to purchase enough nutritious food, had much higher rates of difficulty accessing fresh fruits and vegetables.
Similarly, people who reported poor health status, were four times as likely to report difficulty obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables than people who reported excellent health status (20 percent vs. 5 percent).
The report recommends efforts to increase access to healthy food by: increasing the number of food retailers that offer healthy, affordable food, ensuring that food retailers access Food Assistance (also known as SNAP or Food Stamps), and increasing access to Food Assistance among eligible households.
For more information about the Denver Healthy Food Access Initiative, visit www.denvergov.org. To learn about effort to increase access to the Food Assistance Program, visit: www.hungerfreecolorado.org or call 720-328-1284.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, the Hunger Free Hotline can help. Callers will receive referrals to all available food and nutrition resources in English and Spanish. The statewide toll-free number is 855-855-4626; Denver Metro is 720-382-2920.
This article was provided to us by Hunger Free Colorado, our partner in addressing the issue of hunger in Colorado.
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