Priority Issue: Healthy Eating
Making healthy food affordable and accessible for all
Healthy eating is a critical component to combat cardiovascular risk factors as well as childhood and adult obesity. Adults and children are regularly faced with unhealthy food and beverage options in their daily lives. Providing frequent and easy access to healthy food choices is necessary to improve nutrition in the Fairfax community.
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Goal 1: Increase the accessibility and affordability of healthy food.
Objective 1.1: Establish a food policy council to examine the local food system and make recommendations for how to increase access to healthy and affordable food in underserved areas.
Establish membership and charter a food policy council.
Set priorities for areas of the local food system to examine.
Promote food system and policy changes to increase the consumption of healthier foods.
Objective 1.2: Increase the amount of healthy food that is donated to pantries.
Develop guidelines and recommendations for healthy food donations.
Promote guidelines and recommendations to local food providers.
Create and disseminate a listing of food pantries accepting fresh produce.
Objective 1.3: Establish new community and school gardens in additional locations.
Examine best practices for community gardening.
Identify potential sites for gardens at schools and in the community.
Establish partnerships to support additional gardening efforts.
Establish or expand community gardens, targeting areas with the greatest needs.
Develop tools and resources to support local gardening efforts.
Objective 1.4: Review gaps and opportunities for improving healthy and affordable food options at farmers markets and all other food retail outlets in low income neighborhoods.
Identify geographic locations where access to fresh food is limited.
Increase access to affordable farmers markets for low socioeconomic status communities.
Study programs in other jurisdictions that have successfully introduced fresh food products to underserved areas.
Work with local chambers of commerce to encourage corner markets, ethnic markets, and convenience stores to sell fresh produce and other healthy food items.
Work with ethnic and international grocery stores to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Goal 2: Increase the number of environments that promote healthy food choices and educational resources.
Objective 2.1: Increase the number of schools that adopt healthy eating guidelines outside of the Fairfax County Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services setting.
Review and revise school wellness policies and procedures for activities during the instructional day.
Establish a community taskforce to examine nutrition in schools outside of school meals provided by Food and Nutrition Services.
Establish, communicate, and implement guidelines and recommendations.
Objective 2.2: Increase the number of faith communities that adopt healthy eating guidelines.
Develop guidelines and identify best practices for healthy eating at faith community events and programs.
Develop culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials.
Provide and promote the use of healthy eating resources to faith communities.
Objective 2.3: Increase the number of family child care providers and child care centers participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Develop culturally and linguistically appropriate materials to promote joining the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Educate providers and families about the benefits of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Objective 2.4: Promote healthy eating resources in the business community.
Examine best practices around healthy eating in the local business community.
Develop guidelines that identify opportunities for businesses to improve nutrition in the work environment.
Promote and disseminate guidelines to local businesses.
Objective 2.5: Promote nutrition as a part of standard health care.
Examine best practices for nutrition screening and counseling for primary care doctors and compile recommendations.
Identify community resources and tools that medical practices can use for referral sources.
Promote awareness of recommendations, tools, and resources.