For the first week of National Nutrition Month, we are highlighting the importance of food access in being able to connect with food and our local food system. An individual’s connection to nutritious food can be impacted by a range of factors.
Financial/Budgetary Constraints:
As we have seen with groceries becoming increasingly expensive, food insecurity can result from financial insecurity. In addition, common grocery staples, like eggs, can be susceptible to disease outbreaks and therefore dramatically increase in cost for consumers.
Geographical limitations:
Where you live may affect what kinds of foods you can access. Low-access food areas, for example, can exist where individuals in a certain neighborhood or zip code do not have access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Eligibility and availability:
Certain programs to increase access to nutritious foods may only be available for certain populations. For example, some programs require residency or citizenship to be eligible for benefits. Or others are tailored for a specific population, like the Special Supplemental Nutrition program for Women, Infants, Children (WIC).
Cultural relevancy:
Similar to the geographic limitations, the ability to access culturally familiar foods can be limited. This is especially relevant for migrant populations who may move to new locations, eat less culturally preferred foods, and as a result, have their diet quality negatively impacted.
The meals from God’s Love We Deliver are a great resource to increase your connection and access to nutritious foods! If you are interested, give us a call to see if you are eligible to receive meals from us. Additionally, here are some other resources to get connected to healthy foods:
Our Community Food & Health Resources booklet, available in English, Spanish, and Chinese, has these resources and more.
Have any questions? Want to learn more? Feel free to connect with our Nutrition Services Department and our team of Registered Dietitians Nutritionists for more information.
Happy National Nutrition Month!