Shaping Healthier Communities in East Los Angeles

Time for Fast Food to be replaced with Farm Fresh Options

A drive down 3rd street in East Los Angeles leads to King Taco, Lupe’s Burritos and a combination joint with Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. There isn’t a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s within miles. Kids grab chips and soda instead of apples and carrots for after school snacks.

Coined as a food desert, East Los Angeles appears void of accessible, healthy and affordable food. However, that is not entirely true. Tucked in residential neighborhoods and nestled in the aisles of the super stores, are varieties of healthy options with a higher price tag - it’s just become a matter of making those healthy choices accessible and familiar so the customer’s first choice is no longer pulling into the fast food drive-thru. From Cuevas Health Food store to the East Los Angeles Farmers Market, the town is striving for a healthier community.

“Ideally we want to get rid of the fast food restaurants and make sure kids eat healthier, but that is going to take some time,” said Inspector Abdel-Fatah while monitoring the farmers market at the Civic Center. The inspector spends his Saturday mornings among the customers and vendors to make sure all the produce is California grown and the customers are satisfied with their experience.

Put on by Volunteers of East Los Angeles (VELA), the market has become a community staple to improve the neighborhood as whole. In collaboration with Cal Fresh and Eat Play Grow, every Saturday the market welcomes families and patrons who are interested in purchasing fresh produce, learning about the importance of buying local and testing some quick and healthy recipes.

We are very lucky to have such a great market. It’s done create things for the community. Other markets have had to close. . . but eight years running I think we are here to stay,” said Fatah.

But where does the community shop beyond Saturday mornings at the farmers market? The family run corner stores make up the majority of East Los Angeles food purchasing and they believe they are lucky too.

“My kids always want to go to McDonald’s for the happy meals . . . but no, I make sure they eat good food and I usually come here to get the food,” said a customer at Reynoso’s Market who had tortillas, lettuce, oranges and ground beef in her basket.

Reynoso’s Market is a staple in the East Los Angeles community and provides what is needed for local families and sources from local farmers.

However, other corner markets are struggling to succeed and keep their footing as booming super stores open their doors. With the need of healthy food apparent, Edith’s Market turned to outside help to fill their shelves with fresh produce.

LA CAUSA (Los Angeles Communities Advocating Unity, Social Justice and Action) stepped in and created People’s Affordable, Local, and Organic Market Alterations or P.A.L.O.M.A. Together, they reformed the construction, design and development of corner stores, Edith’s Market being the first to undergo this process. Their strategy goes beyond the store itself to spread awareness about healthy food behaviors and work with the neighboring elementary school to promote healthy lifestyle habits.

Although it’s a stride in the right direction, it is still evident that with a broken refrigerator and chips and soda lining the shelves, Edith’s Market still has a lot of room to improve on.

“I’ve heard about [LA CAUSA] at school but I always come here with friends to get Cheetos and Dr.Pepper,” said a 5th grade Latino student walking into Edith’s for an after school snack.

Neighboring these small mom and pop shops, are two super stores who provide healthy options that even Whole Foods would be envious of. Top Valu and El Super are two mainstream markets that have found the right balance by providing specialized products, general store good and fresh produce. Top Valu produce section is lined with glistening citrus, ripe avocados, shiny apples and lush varieties of lettuce. The supermarket chain offers meats from around the world, fresh bread and even products like chia seeds and various almond milk flavors.

With the slogan, “El Super-Cuesta Menos” (El Super-Costs Less), El Super is able to combat the fast food stores on their prices and provide healthier options that the whole family can enjoy. From Fruit Wednesdays to their “pollo” of the day recipe, El Super finds the secret to success by blending healthy food options with familiar recipes at a low cost.

At the peak of specialty food stores for East Los Angeles is Cuevas Health Food. The store provides supplements, gluten-free goods such as brown-rice bread, soy based and vegan products. The owners, Dr. Jamie and Berta Cuevas believe in vegetarian diets and using “la soya” in everything. Although the prices are high, the quality is the best in the area according to loyal customers.

As the corner stores continue to improve and the super stores maintain the right balance with quality and price, East Los Angeles is moving towards a healthier community. Healthy meals and after school snacks will hopefully soon replace the fast food and junk food choices with the younger generation.

“We really hope to see the fast food places go and places like the farmers markets stay. It’s what we need,” said Inspector Abdel-Fatah.