March is National Nutrition Month. It is also the month that
National Health Foundation is beginning to offer nutrition education classes in
Historic South Los Angeles. As part of the Champions for Change Healthy Communities Initiative grant
received from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, NHF will be
conducting 30 minute to 1 hour long nutrition education classes at schools in
the community with students and parents. Led by our trained and expert staff,
these classes are intended to educate South LA residents about the importance
of healthy eating and physical activity. Classes will cover topics such as the
USDA’s MyPlate guidelines, the importance of drinking water, reading and
understanding food labels, shopping for healthy food on a budget and everyday
activities that can help maintain weight and fend off disease.
These classes are one part of the healthy story that is
emerging from within South LA. Our
Health Academy students have worked with two, and are currently assessing 8,
local food markets to see how they advertise and sell healthy options. They
collaborate with store owners to improve the visibility of healthy foods, such
as fruits and vegetables, and offer help with marketing these options to the
community. Their efforts are working! More healthy foods are visible to
consumers and one market owner has even changed his food procurement process to
receive healthy food from a local produce distributor, making these healthy
options more available and cheaper to the community.
Together, these two approaches are intended to tackle the
social determinant of health that is access to healthy and nutritious food.
South LA is considered a food desert with few healthy food options available.
Furthermore, food insecurity is an issue that many in the community face. The
nutrition education classes are being offered with the expectation of shifting
the trend of obesity and heart disease in the community. By reinforcing the positive changes happening in South LA, including
the availability of fresh produce at corner markets, we will ensure that every
individual and every family has the access to the knowledge and ability to eat healthy and
live their best, healthiest life.
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