Cash, convenience can dictate dining

For many Americans, convenience often reigns supreme in deciding what’s for dinner. And for plenty of Penn students as well as other community members, the task of cooking a meal can seem daunting compared to walking to 40th Street to grab a quick bite to eat.

Though they may be familiar with the food pyramid, students often ignore its recommended servings of fruits and vegetables when faced with the task of prioritizing their time.

Despite eating mainly organic foods at home, Nursing junior Leigh Rapheal said “time and budget” are most influential in her decisions about what food to buy. Convenience and money issues are also central for other local Philadelphia residents.

To overcome perceived inconveniences, there are a number of urban nutrition initiatives in West Philadelphia focusing on education. At University City High School, a group of students is learning about the values of eating organic through the Urban Nutrition Initiative. In the program, students are taught how to grow organic foods and learn about the benefits of healthy eating. Kenny Owens, a senior who has been involved with the program for three years, explained that the knowledge about nutrition he gained was one of the greatest benefits of the program. “We know how the food service works now,” he said.

Matthew Johnson, another UCHS senior, spoke of how the program has affected him personally. “I can say I do eat healthier — a lot less junk food,” he said.

Despite students’ dedication to the cause, it is often difficult to effect change, even at their own school. “There’s not much access to healthy foods at schools,” Owens said.

He said there are many people who would benefit from organic foods who choose not to eat them. Instead of choosing locally grown organic foods, “people will go to the corner stores and find the cheapest available foods,” he explained.

Donkey Dover, the farm manager at UCHS, said people need to fundamentally change the way they think about food, which would require teaching them about food preparation. “Cooking fresh food is different than cooking from a can,” he said.

However, before cooking is even an option, it is necessary for people to have access to ingredients — complicated by the fact that organic food is often more expensive than its alternatives. Caroline Harries, director of the Food Trust’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative — a program dedicated to improving access to healthy foods in underserved neighborhoods — explained that “access to healthy foods is a problem in many communities.”

West Phillie Produce, a corner store located at 6200 Ludlow St., has benefited from funding from FFFI. Harries explained that store owner Arnett Woodall used grant money to purchase equipment, such as refrigerators.

Although he is aware that it will take a lot of work to encourage healthier eating in his community, Owens believes that the fight is important because “everyone should have equal rights to food.”

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