The simple question “How do I get enough to eat?” does not have a simple answer.
Hunger Free America’s 2015 New York City Hunger Report defines food insecurity as the inability “to consistently afford an adequate supply of food throughout the year,” but Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University, says that it’s more complicated than that. “Just because good, fresh, healthy food is available does not ensure that people will choose it,” she wrote. To her, income and education are the two most important factors when it comes to healthy eating: People need enough money to buy good food, and then they need to know what to do with it.
Change on that level takes time. This year’s presidential candidates can’t reach consensus on what to do about hunger in America – but then, the issue doesn’t even arise at debates or on the campaign trail.
Charles Platkin, director of the New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College, lists a set of variables that impact access: the availability and affordability of healthy food; the location of healthy food; the availability and affordability of unhealthy food; nutrition education, such as cooking demonstrations and cooking skills; and self-efficacy, the confidence to do something you would like to do, like eat a more healthy diet.
There are small inroads. A NYC Department of Health spokesperson noted, via email, that local initiatives like Shop Healthy, Green Carts and Health Bucks “have been successful in increasing access to nutritious foods for low income New Yorkers,” and benefits like SNAP “are being streamlined and put on-line so it will be easier for people to apply.” Approximately 1.7 million New Yorkers are SNAP recipients.
But to turn the discussion around, motivation is useless without a decent outlet nearby. The NYTable access map shows where to find food pantries, soup kitchens, SNAP/food benefit application locations and farmer’s markets throughout the five boroughs, using data from the City’s Human Resources Administration.
Click on any dot to find out more about that food outlet. –Natasa Bansagi
Timmy Hung-Ming Shen and Ilgin Yorulmaz contributed to reporting of this story.
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