Local Teens Promote Good Nutrition For All

Three youths from Alameda Point Collaborative represented Alameda last month at a nationwide food justice conference in Philadelphia, where they worked with teens from across the country to draft a Youth Food Bill of Rights.

The Rooted in Community Summit brought together 140 young people from across the countyr to draw up a bill that promotes good nutrition for all regardless of race or economic status.

The bill contains a list of rights that the teens feel society, foodmakers and big businesses should follow, such as a ban on preservatives in food. The document asks for the support of the federal government and educational system to help teach young people about the importance of healthy nutrition and fitness.

“We need to find an easier and cheaper way to get healthy and organic food out there,” said Jamaika Wallace, 15, one of the three Alameda teens who participated in the conference. “We’re shaping the community and the whole United States for what it’s going to be later. Our community rests on the youth.”

The local teens are part of the APC’s Growing Youth Project, which aims to teach young people about the value of good nutrition through work on the organization’s community farm and healthy cooking classes.

GYP Program Manager Kate Casale said the bill is about giving the nation’s youth a say in changing the country’s food landscape.

“Both the process and the end product are geared at amplifying the power of youth voice in changing our food system,” Casale said. “We aim to have [the bill] serve as an advocacy and organizing tool for other communities. Youth will take this back to their local organizations and facilitate the process with their peers and generate more demands.” 

According to recent figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 23 million Americans live in “food deserts,” poor areas without easy access to fresh, healthy food. There are five fast food restaurants for every supermarket in the country, the USDA found, underscoring the importance of initiatives such as the GYP and the youth food bill.

Wallace said the program has been met with slight resistance in the community.

“Eating unhealthy food is way cheaper than buying organic lettuce and tomatoes,” Wallace said.

But on the whole, the community is receptive to GYP’s efforts. Wallace said the program’s weekly farm stand always sees a good turnout, and the organization receives positive feedback.

The teens are also trying to teach by example.

For Millawn Oliver, 13, another APC teen who attended the conference, eating healthy foods is quite a change from her old diet.

“I used to eat hot chips and Kool-Aid everyday,” she said.

Since joining the GYP, Oliver has started making healthier choices. Now, she only eats one treat per day, and she has encouraged her family to follow suit.

“My mom sees me trying so she’s been cooking healthier,” said Oliver. “My brothers still like to eat junk foods, but they’ve started eating healthier too.”

Wallace sometimes cooks nutritious meals for her friends. Although they are used to eating fast food. “They always eat what I cook,” she said.

Wallace said her knowledge of fruits and vegetables has grown, and she’s more open to trying different, more exotic varieties.

“When I started this program, I found eggplant,” said Wallace. “I’d never eaten it before, but now I like it.”

Her hope is that every American will one day have the same opportunity.

“This is a very, very important issue because our generation to come and generations to come after won’t have the resources to eat healthy food,” she said. “If we were to take control of agriculture and our food, it will be totally different and it will be easier for us to not to have so many health problems.”