With the Let’s Move! Initiative sweeping the nation people are becoming more aware of the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Just recently the Obama Administration released details of an over $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which will bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities across America. This is incredibly important because children who come from impoverished areas may be taught to eat healthy in school, but when they return to their homes they have no options.
These underserved urban and rural areas are called ‘food deserts’. USDA recently launched a Food Environment Atlas (www.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/) where food deserts can be identified.
“Encouraging people to choose fresh, nutritious food is important,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “But to achieve that goal that kind of food must be available, and in far too many parts of our country — both urban and rural communities — that’s not the case.
