Why is Access to Healthy Foods Important?

Healthy foods provide us with the nutrition our bodies need. Without this nutrition, our bodies break down leading to future health issues.

For some of us, eating healthy food is not much of an issue. For others, it can be a matter of life and death.

If you look in your grocery stores, you may notice that healthy foods are often more expensive than “not as healthy” food products. When you compare organic to non-organic, organic will always have a higher price tag. Lower fats and non-fat foods also tend to be more expensive than foods with a high fat content.

Because healthy foods are more expensive, lower income people may not be able to afford them. As a result, grocery stores in lower income neighborhoods may not carry these foods at all.

But the problems don’t stop there.

Data from 2012-2013 shows that the average person lived 2.19 miles from a supermarket. While that is not very far for those who have a car, it is impossible to walk this distance with a week’s worth of groceries, and carrying them on public transportation isn’t much easier.

Then there are the food deserts. Food deserts are areas where food resources are limited which is often the case in low income areas. As a result, convenience stores and small food markets may be the only way for these people to access food. Unfortunately, these smaller businesses tend not to offer a lot of healthy food options.

Why is Access to Healthy Foods Important?

If you are wondering, why is access to healthy foods important, read on to find out.

Those who do not have access to healthy foods are likely to experience health problems in the future. Diabetes and obesity are two health issues that are quite common in low-income neighborhoods where people do not have access to the healthy foods they need.

There are however, things you can do to offset the cost of eating healthy. Buying your food online is a great alternative to grocery stores and usually gets you even fresher products. If you buy lobster tails online for example, these are the freshest you can possibly get without buying a live lobster. Buying from companies like this also makes it so you know the product is being sourced responsibly, so that it will be available in the future.

What is Being Done?

Fortunately, the issue of a lack of access to healthy foods has not gone unnoticed. As a result, several strategies have been implemented to “improve diets by altering food environments.” For instance, Supplemental Nutrition Access Programs have helped low income individuals afford the healthy food they need.

Other strategies include opening supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods, lowering the prices of healthy foods and limiting the number of fast food restaurants in communities.

It Starts with You

Healthy foods are important but to really make sure you are getting the nutrition you need, supplements are recommended.

Garden of Life is a brand that is dedicated to creating a world where obesity and diabetes are a thing of the past. They manufacture whole foods nutritional supplements that they believe will help make that dream a reality. Products like their Omega 3 Fish Oil, their Woman’s Once Daily, and their FucoThin Fat Burner are just some Garden of Life products designed to boost health and wellness.

The question is not really, “Why is access to healthy foods important?” Rather, it’s “What do we need to do to make healthy foods more accessible?” Fortunately, programs are underway to help people get the nutritious foods they need. Hopefully this will make a change in promoting better health throughout the world.