Living in a food desert: “Why don’t they just buy healthy food?”

I live in a food desert

 

http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

I can’t reach a grocery store within walking distance in Brownsville and I have to commute further into Brooklyn to reach a store with fresh fruits and vegetables. The nearest restaurants consist of questionable Chinese food and fried chicken. For someone with a regular income and access to public transportation, this is only a minor inconvenience. For many of the residents of Brownsville, including the students whom I teach, it’s almost an inescapable life sentence.

From people who are very unfamiliar with food inequality, I’ve heard things such as, why don’t they just eat healthy food? There are many things wrong with this assumption, primarily being:

1. It completely ignores the fact that poverty is a cycle that takes generations to break.

2. Money, time, and access are all factors that contribute to food inequality.

3. Certain habits can be tough to break, even when money and access to food is no longer a factor.

Where’s all the food??

Part of the disparity between wealthy and impoverished neighborhoods is the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables. On every corner of Brownsville, you’ll find a deli/cornerstore. These stores have tons of cheap junk food that require no preparation. They’re affordable, easy, and quick. I have to walk about 30 minutes to reach the nearest local grocery store in the neighborhood (it is not directly accessible by bus or train from my apartment). Sure, I can take the train to Target or Trader Joe’s in Downtown Brooklyn. But what about my neighbors who live on fixed incomes and may not be able to afford  the food items at these locations? Or even afford the frequent subway fare?

When would there be time to cook all this fresh food??

Another factor is time. If I were working a minimum wage job for long hours everyday (and had to commute to and from this job), it might be difficult to prepare a fresh meal every night for my family. Picking up fast food at the nearest restaurant for my family would be much more manageable. It’s not the healthiest choice, but to some families it seems like the only choice, also because of….

Money!

Believe it or not, it can be quite expensive to feed a large family healthy meals each day. Families on fixed or low incomes often scrape by each month, so the quickest and cheapest option is often their first choice. Delis and cornerstores usually only carry fresh items like milk and juice, most likely because it’s expensive to keep fresh produce in stock on a regular basis. 

These issues go overlooked when discussing income equality in the U.S. Sometimes it’s difficult for people who were raised in upper class backgrounds to understand why being poor is actually very expensive.

 

Eating unhealthy food is usually not a choice when faced with so many socioeconomic challenges. Lack of access, lack of time, and higher cost are all factors that make this “choice” nearly impossible to alter.