Citizen Education/Food Literacy

Providing affordable, healthy food choices and easy access to those stores and markets which offer those choices is but one step towards impacting the health of our community through the foods we eat.  How to select healthy choices, understand food labels and ingredients, and culturally appealing healthy methods of food preparation are essential as well.  It is also important that our community understands the connection between what they eat and dealing with the health issues faced by so many.  There exist a need for youth and adults to be able to unpack and counter the marketing messages of the mainstream food system that creates a disproportionate “toxic food environment” with billboards and other forms of marketing in poor communities and communities of color.

Actions needed:

• Provide on-going education through the City of Detroit Health and Wellness Promotion Department, schools, churches and appropriate agencies on healthy food choices and culturally appropriate food preparation.
• Oppose especially marketing of sugar-, fat- and salt-laden food and beverages to kids and in schools and other youth-oriented environments.
• Provide education on food choices and preparation as related to specific conditions and diseases prevalent in our community such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, allergies and cancer.
• Encourage grocery stores, Eastern Market and food markets to offer healthy recipes and healthy food preparation demonstrations, and sponsor educational sessions and food preparation classes.
• Educate community, parents, and youth about and oppose contracts with soda manufacturers in schools.

Explore The Detroit Food Policy

The Detroit Food Policy was unanimously adopted by the Detroit City Council on March 15, 2008