Funded Projects

Food for Salud: Nutrition Education

Project Year

2023

City & State

Miami, Florida

Program Name

CATCH Implementation

Topic

Nutrition

Program Description

Food insecurity (FI), or lack of access to adequate food to live an active and healthy life, is a persistent problem in the U.S. that has adverse effects on physical and mental health. FI is heightened for families with children: in the U.S. in 2020, 11.8% of households were food insecure, whereas 16.1% of households with children were food insecure. In Miami-Dade County in 2020, 18.2% of households with children experienced FI, exceeding the national rate. (1) Lack of access to fresh whole foods is a significant barrier to healthy and nutritious eating and can contribute to the development and progression of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. (2) Low-income and underserved areas often have limited numbers of stores that sell healthy, fresh foods, making residents more likely to consume less healthy but readily available processed foods from convenience stores and fast-food outlets. Low-income areas more than one mile from a large grocery store are characterized by the USDA as food deserts; South Florida alone is home to 326 food deserts. Nicklaus Children’s Health System (NCHS) includes the only hospital exclusively for children in South Florida and serves over 400,000 children per year. In May 2022, we implemented a multidisciplinary FI screening and referral program at NCHS. Our initiative, “Food for Salud: Healthy Food for Healthy Kids,” aims not only to identify families experiencing FI, but also to provide them with the resources to transition from food insecurity to nutrition security. Salud means health in Spanish, which is the language spoken by 65% of individuals in Miami, FL. Currently, families who report experiencing food insecurity are referred to Feeding South Florida, the largest non-profit agency in the region addressing food and hunger-related issues through direct provision of food and assistance with accessing benefits. Evidence shows that community gardens increase access to fresh foods and promote psychological, social, and physical wellbeing. Over the past 10 years, Health in the Hood, a local nonprofit, has developed deep partnerships with residents, community leaders, and organizations to plant eight sustainable vegetable gardens in low-income neighborhoods throughout Miami. Its mission is to promote lifelong health, not only by serving families at garden sites, but also by investing and collaborating with the communities in which patients live. Together, NCHS and Health in the Hood plan to build a Food for Salud community garden at NCH, which will be Health in the Hood’s ninth garden in Miami. This collaborative will increase access to free, healthy, fresh food for South Florida families—including NCHS patients and families, as well as local community members—experiencing FI. In addition, the NCHS and Health in the Hood collaboration will allow for expanded health and nutrition educational opportunities at the Food for Salud garden and other community sites, including camps, Girl Scout/Boy Scout meetings, and local parks and recreation programs. Utilizing our expertise as a pediatric hospital with skilled dietitians and physician staff, we plan to organize an array of learning opportunities for families, including nutrition education and cooking demonstrations. Additionally, the gardens will provide spaces for community volunteer opportunities. We anticipate the following outcomes: - Community members will have increased knowledge of the essential role nutrition plays in the health of children. - Individuals participating in education programs will gain nutrition and wellness knowledge and skills. - Local families will have an increased consumption of healthy foods. - Local families will experience reduced food insecurity and improved health. - Pediatric residents and dietitians will have increased knowledge about community pediatrics, nutrition, social determinants of health, advocacy, and community partners.

Project Goal

Our goal is to enhance exposure to and knowledge of growing and preparing fresh produce by providing hands-on nutrition education to South Florida children and families who are experiencing or at risk of food insecurity through programming led by dieticians and pediatricians at our hospital-based garden and community sites.

Project Objective 1

Develop a year-long curriculum on nutrition education led by pediatricians and dietitians that incorporates hands-on experiences in gardening and healthy cooking by July 2023.

Project Objective 2

Deliver bimonthly nutrition education programming that provides pediatric expertise in the NCH Food for Salud garden and at community sites by June 2024.

Project Objective 3

Increase participants’ knowledge of and comfort with the procurement and preparation of nutritious foods and meals by 50% by June 2024.

AAP District

District X

Institutional Name

Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Contact 1

Alexandra Byrne

Contact 2

Joanna Perdomo