Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Why I Decided to Teach Kids Living in Food Deserts How to Cook

Ashleigh Parsons
By Ashleigh ParsonsMar 30, 2013
Ashleigh Parsons
See Full Bio


After I finished up my master's of education in May last year, I began developing the Alma Community Outreach Program alongside the opening of Alma Restaurant in downtown LA last June. The restaurant's co-owner and chef, Ari Taymor, agreed the community outreach program would be an essential component of the business—coupling our passion for food with education.

The program provides monthly classes teaching elementary and high school students how to create a healthy snack or meal. Beyond the cooking component, we hope to impart a sense of empowerment in the young people—the understanding that these recipes can be replicated at home, free from the confines of a cooking class.

It is inspired by my own experience working at the Tenderloin After School Program (TASP), in the heart of San Francisco’s notoriously high crime, low-income neighborhood. The neighborhood is also considered a food desert—there are no grocery stores located in the Tenderloin—which means that often the only option is to shop at the local liquor store where shelves are packed with cheap, high-processed foods.

TASP was open six days a week and I ran the Saturday program. I remember the kids would arrive around 10 a.m., often with a bag of hot chips and a bottle of coke in hand. They would consume these items as a substitute for breakfast and lunch, and subsequently complain of headaches, stomachaches, and exhaustion. I immediately realized how important it was for me to ensure we made something both healthy and delicious, with fresh and local ingredients. More importantly, I wanted to create a dish that could be easily accessed and easily produced at home, even in homes without an oven or stove.
We started by taking a field trip to the farmers market at the Ferry Building. I was apprehensive at first, bringing 25 kids to a place bustling with tourists and vendors, but I was determined to share with my students a part of the city that I adored the most. So we went—25 of us, by ferry, to the market. And it was grand. The kids devoured tastes of Frog Hollow pears, they munched on samples of homemade toffee, and we bought an array of fruit for a fruit salad feast to be prepared back at the program.
This memory stands out in my mind because it made me realize that I didn’t have to do something massive to have a real impact on my students’ lives. Rather, if I started simple, started small, I had the power to make real change that could ultimately positively impact the lives of my students and their families.
So, what can you do? While it can certainly feel overwhelming at times to believe that change can be made when we are constantly inundated with news of increases in obesity, the prevalence of high processed foods, and the challenge of food access and food policies, change can be made. And change is being made across the country, thanks to inspiring people and incredible organizations.
To start, start small. Log on to edibleschoolyard.org and join the revolution by creating an account for yourself. This organization inspires me each day. One of the goals of Edible Schoolyard is to cultivate a network of likeminded people that are dedicated to change. So dedicate yourself, and be that change.

***

This month, we're challenging the GOOD community to host a dinner party and cook a meal that contains fewer ingredients than the number of people on the guest list. Throughout March, we'll share ideas and resources for being more conscious about our food and food systems. Join the conversation at good.is/food and on Twitter at #chewonit.




Original image via (cc) flickr user famfriendsfood



healthlivingcommunityneighborhoodsfood and drink

The Latest

Amanda Seyfried and Joni Mitchell
Culture

Amanda Seyfried shocks Jimmy Fallon audience with cover of Joni Mitchell’s 'California'

orchestra playing
Humor

Orchestra teacher receives scam call during class and has her students scare them off in the best way

woman looking up toward the sky; earth from space
Science

New MIT study says 'quantified proof' Earth's ozone layer is healing

More For You

14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations

Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.

Keep ReadingShow less

11 hilarious posts describe the everyday struggles of being a woman

Between the bras, makeup, periods, catcalling, sexism, impossible-to-attain beauty standards, and heels, most men wouldn't survive being a woman for a day without having a complete mental breakdown. So here's a slideshow of some of the funniest Tumblr posts about the everyday struggles that women face that men would never understand.

All photos courtesy of Tumblr.

Keep ReadingShow less

Satanists put up a billboard in Florida promoting state's abortion law loophole

This article originally appeared on 12.30.20.



In some states, women are put through humiliating and dangerous pre-abortion medical consultations and waiting periods before being allowed to undergo the procedure. In four states, women are even forced to bury or cremate the fetal remains after the procedure.

These government-mandated roadblocks and punitive shaming serve no purpose but to make it more difficult, emotionally damaging, and expensive for women to have an abortion.

Keep ReadingShow less

Awesome chart shows you how far you can drive on empty.

There are two types of people in this world – those who panic and fill up their cars with gas when the needle hits 25% or so, and people like me who wait until the gas light comes on, then check the odometer so you can drive the entire 30 miles to absolute empty before coasting into a gas station on fumes.

I mean…it's not empty until it's empty, right?

Keep ReadingShow less

19 countries photoshopped one man to fit their idea of the perfect body

If you ask people what they think the “perfect" body looks like, you're sure to get a range of answers, depending on where the person is from. Last year, Superdrug Online Doctor created a project, “Perceptions of Perfection" that showed what people in 18 countries think the “perfect" woman looks like. The project was a viral hit.

They've recently released the male version.

This time, they asked graphic designers—11 women and eight men—in 19 countries to photoshop the same image to highlight the male beauty standards for their country.

Keep ReadingShow less

Trying To Guess Which Twin Smokes Is The Perfect Way To Help You Quit

It's not revolutionary news that smoking wreaks havoc on your body in different ways. More often than not, however, the focus of anti-smoking campaigns is on your internal health, citing emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer, to name just a few consequences.

While the superficial effects may not be as lethal, appealing to people's sense of vanity can have a powerful effect as this clever gallery below shows. Twins, only one of whom smokes, sit side by side, showing the profound damage smoking can cause to your face, hair, and teeth.

Keep ReadingShow less

A viral Twitter thread about body autonomy is a reminder of the ‘fear’ and ‘shame’ women still are forced to confront.

Body autonomy means a person has the right to whatever they want with their own body.

We live in a world where people are constantly telling women what they can or can't do with their bodies. Women get it form all sides — Washington, their churches, family members, and even doctors.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025