Stuck in Food Desert

What do agar powder, coconut yogurt, and dairy free cream cheese have in common? They are all items listed on a vegan’s shopping list that are unavailable in Nacogdoches. It’s hard to live vegan in Nacogdoches. Yet, even if a family isn’t eating a vegan diet, it is still hard to eat healthy and well. East Texas is full of food deserts, and Nacogdoches is one of them.

A food desert is defined as an area where insufficient amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other healthy whole foods, are available. Typically, this deficiency is due to a lack of healthy food providers such as grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Essentially, it is cheaper to buy alcohol than milk or a greasy fast-food meal than fresh produce.

Nacogdoches is a food desert, especially in the south part of town. Many occupants are low-income families and they have to travel a few miles to buy groceries. Often times, they are limited in vehicle use and because there is no public transportation system in Nacogdoches, their resources for obtaining food are inadequate.

About 23.5 million people live in food deserts, and nearly half of them are also low-income who live in rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket. Due to this, people living in food deserts get most meals from fast-food restaurants.

In rural towns, residents are more prone to food insecurity and living in a food desert because of limited resources. A study conducted by the County Health Rankings shows the percentage of the population who are low-income and do not live close to a grocery store.

Limited Options

It can be difficult for students living in Nacogdoches to buy healthy groceries, especially those who are used to living in places that have numerous options of healthy food places. For Anne Supan, a freshman at Stephen F. Austin University, it has been difficult to adjust her grocery shopping options.

“There are so many places to find healthy food in Dallas,” Supan said, “and there’s a lot of food that I would really like to eat but I can’t find anywhere in Nacogdoches. It’s definitely a lot easier to eat the way I would like in Dallas.”

Supan’s diet excludes eating wheat and sugar, which means that she needs to find healthy alternatives to receive her daily nutrients. The food desert in Nacogdoches, however, hinders her. “It would be really nice to have a grocery store

that has multiple options. Walmart’s produce isn’t always fresh and can be expensive. I would prefer to shop at Kroger, but because I don’t have a car I can’t drive there whenever I want. Even there, they still don’t have everything I would like,” said Supan.

In Nacogdoches, there are only a handful of places to shop, and most do not have a sufficient supply of hearty groceries. Some places are better to shop than others, but there is no one-stop shop to buy everything needed to eat well.

“At the places I shop back home, there’s so many options of food to choose from, but in

Nacogdoches, I may be able to find what I’m looking for, but it may only come in one kind or flavor,” Supan said.

While Nacogdoches is lacking in healthy food options, big cities such as Austin have multiple places to shop for healthy groceries. Whole Foods, a large grocery store known for organic options, originated in Austin. Compared to Nacogdoches, it is statistically much easier to eat well in Austin.

Mary Gillam, a vegan Austin resident, feels that it is easy to buy any grocery she needs and never has difficulty. “I almost feel as if Austin has specialty health food grocery stores for everything. I have never had a problem getting what I need on my grocery list.”

Gillam travels to two main stores to buy all her groceries, and both are in close distance to her apartment. Even when she decides to eat out, she knows she will have plenty of options that will satisfy her dietary preferences. “Vegan options at restaurants in Austin are easy to come by but can sometimes be more expensive.”

Financial Factor

One of the biggest factors contributing to food deserts is the cost of eating healthy. For Gillam, deciding to go vegan has increased her grocery budget. “I spend about $50-$70 on groceries when I go on big grocery trip, which is about once every two weeks. That’s a bit more than what I spent on groceries before I became vegan.”

On average, Gillam is spending around $100-150 a month on groceries alone. Factoring in her rent, gas, and tuition she pays to attend University of Texas at Austin, Gillam’s expenditures are very high. Loans help her to afford everything she needs.

However, a low-income family cannot apply for loans as easily as Gillam. Whatever income they receive is what they have to work with. This is why it is far easier to purchase a cheap meal than buy produce that costs the same, is less fulfilling, and expires quickly.

About 2.2% of all U.S. households live in low-income areas and have limited access to health food stores. That means that approximately 2.3 million people do not have the option to eat the kinds of food they would want. They are forced to buy the food at whatever local Walmart they have, which are not as well prepared as the food found at a health food store.

Even when low-income families in Nacogdoches decide to eat out, they are limited in options. Driving down North Street, fast-food restaurants are scattered all along the road. There are a few places that have healthy options, such as Newk’s. Yet, a meal at

Newk’s can cost twice as much as a meal at McDonald’s.

“Meals can get really expensive when I go to strictly vegan restaurants. They can get up to $15 a plate,” Gillam said. “When I go to chain restaurants, most of the time when you ask the waiter [about vegan options] they don't seem to know how to answer your vegan questions.”

Location, Location, Location

Another big issue that contributes to the food desert in Nacogdoches is that many people are isolated from local grocery stores. Some residents have to travel up to 10 miles just to reach a grocery store that may not even have everything they need.

Supan would love to travel to Lufkin or Tyler to buy groceries because there are a few more options in those towns, but they are still at least half an hour away. Without a car, it’s impossible for her to shop

there unless she can catch a ride with one of her friends.

“I’ve been told the HEB in Lufkin isn’t too bad,” Supan said, “but none of my friends are willing to drive me 30 minutes to Lufkin for some groceries. I don’t blame them. It’s ridiculous to have to drive that far.”

On the other hand, finding a health food store in Austin has never been a problem for Gillam. “Downtown there are so many food trucks and around every corner is a health store,” Gillam said, “I feel like Austin was the best place for me to become vegan. We have multiple HEB’s, Walmart’s, Trader Joe’

s, Sprouts’, and so many specialty places to shop at.”

Fixing the Problem

The concern over food deserts in the U.S. has grown significantly in the past few years. Discussions over public policies have risen all over the nation. There are some laws that have been brought to the table but were never implemented. For example, the Food Desert Oasis Act of 2009 sought to provide assistance to residents living in food deserts, but was never passed.

One way to handle this problem is to build a health food store in the area most effected by the food desert. Building a third Brookshire Brothers is not the solution, but building a store stocks fresh produce and promotes clean eating which will benefit the residents.

“One of my favorite places to shop for groceries is Tom Thumb,” Supan said, “and I’m pretty sure most people born in Nacogdoches have ever even seen one. Nacogdoches could definitely benefit from more healthy grocery stores than just the biggest chain ones.”

Still, there is the issue of dealing with the low income many families receive. Simply providing them with healthy food options will not fix anything because that food will still be expensive to buy due to its quality demanded. So, focusing on improving the financial aspect will result in improving a family’s quality of life.

Food deserts are definitely going to be around the nation for a long time. Improvements in multiple aspects of life are needed, and until those needs are satisfied, there will always be people isolated from the food they desire.

#food #easttexas #health