Make Healthy Food Affordable and Accessible (2024)

FAQs

How can we help make healthy food available and affordable to all people? ›

Promote policies that support and protect community gardens. Pass food policies that require food and beverages purchased with government funds to meet certain nutrition standards. Require access to free and safe drinking water in public places.

Local governments can provide strategic leadership, such as providing improved access to healthy foods in lower-income areas, using zoning laws to change local food environments, requiring menu labeling in restaurants, serving as a catalyst for community change by offering healthier foods at government facilities, ...

Use financing and tax incentives to increase access to healthy and sustainable food through small loans and grants to corner stores to purchase refrigeration for fresh food produce (e.g. fruits, vegetables and dairy) and financing for start-up costs for grocery stores in food deserts to make food prices affordable.

Strategies for Healthy Eating on a Budget

Plan meals ahead of time that incorporate leftovers and/or foods that may spoil quickly such as fruit and vegetables. Create a shopping list, bring the list with you to the grocery store and stick to it.

Try increasing your use of eggs, beans, seeds, frozen fruits and vegetables, cheaper cuts of meat, and whole grains. These all taste great, are cheap (especially in bulk), and are very nutritious. Incorporating more inexpensive yet nutrient-rich foods into your daily routine will help you save money and eat well.

Low-income urban and rural communities frequently have low access to healthy food retail options and an overabundance of unhealthy options [2,3]. Various approaches have been used to address this inequity in food access in the United States (U.S.).

Determined among consumers by the spatial accessibility and affordability of food retailers---specifically such factors as travel time to shopping, availability of healthy foods, and food prices---relative to the access to transportation and socioeconomic resources of food buyers.

Food affordability is an important determinant of food choice and access, driving dietary patterns, nutrition status and overall health and environmental outcomes.

It doesn't have to be if you are willing to follow three simple reminders -- Plan, Compare and Prepare. If you follow these, you and your family can save money and eat healthier.

The data reveal that more than 3.1 billion – or 42 percent of the world's population – could not afford a healthy diet in 2021.

What foods are good on a tight budget? ›

Eggs, beans and nuts are excellent sources of protein and easy to add to almost any dish. Add nuts to oatmeal, cereal, salads and stir-fries for a healthy, hearty meal. Raw nuts are often cheaper. Roast them for a delicious snack.

Look for meals that aren't greasy or oily. For example, instead of ordering cheese-covered chicken enchiladas, get the grilled chicken or fish tacos. Choose food items without creamy sauces or gravies. Ask to substitute veggies or salad for fattening sides such as fries, coleslaw or butter-laden mashed potatoes.

Conclusions. Subsidizing healthier foods tends to be effective in modifying dietary behaviour. Future studies should examine its long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness at the population level and its impact on overall diet intake.