Good Bowls: Empowering Communities to Achieve Good Food Access and Health Equity

摘要 新出现的数据表明，那些先前存在的健康状况，如肥胖，糖尿病和心脏病， 感染COVID-19的风险显著增加，低收入和有色人种也是如此。 研究还表明，粮食不安全（无法获得负担得起、营养价值高的食物）和贫困 饮食摄入量可能是造成这些人群健康差异的原因。失业、贫穷、族裔 少数民族身份和农村居住也是健康状况不佳的有力预测因素。提供无障碍设施的必要性 和负担得起的健康食品选择，以支持提高免疫系统功能的高风险人群， 因此，随着大流行病的蔓延，这一问题变得越来越紧迫。营养状况被认为起着关键作用 在预防，治疗和管理COVID-19方面，均衡饮食和某些营养素 来增强免疫系统然而，即使对营养食品选择的需求变得更加紧迫， 疫情导致食品行业大量失业，食品相关企业关闭，餐馆倒闭， 和机构市场的中小型农民，以及多余的产品被浪费或捐赠给食品 储存和分发这种易腐食品的容量有限的银行/食品储藏室。这些影响 严重加剧了粮食不安全，1特别是在少数民族和低收入人口中。 Equiti Foods LLC正在推进Good Bowls，这是一个生产和分销平台， 健康，负担得起的，当地生产的，美味的冷冻食品，以低收入和少数民族人口在小 同时也为农村地区的小企业提供经济机会， 社区.膳食是基于地中海饮食适应口味偏好和季节性 美国东南部的食物供应（“Med-South Diet”）。Equiti食品公司已经测试了地中海南部饮食， 多项研究发现，对低收入人群的健康有益， 关于品味。第一阶段的行政补充将侧重于调整平台， 当前的COVID-19影响了区域经济和商业环境。目标是帮助最小化 这一流行病对健康状况不均衡的人群的健康、财政和社会影响。具体目标包括：1） 与农村经济困难社区的三家确定的餐馆/餐饮商合作（包括一家黑人- 拥有和一个拉丁裔拥有），以测试良好的碗模型; 2）评估早期营养对客户的影响 在食品安全、饮食质量和健康食品知识/行为方面受到COVID-19的不利影响; 3） 将COVID-19相关的健康信息融入为当地社区量身定制的Good Bowls包装中。 如果成功，该项目将建立一个良好的碗模型的可行性，将：1）授权小规模食品 生产者，振兴当地经济; 2）防止因COVID中断食品分配而造成的食品浪费 3）为高危人群提供营养食品，协助预防和管理COVID-19。

Abstract Emerging data indicate that those with pre-existing health conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, are at significantly increased risk of contracting COVID-19, as are low income and persons of color. Research also suggests that food insecurity (lack of access to affordable, nutritionally valuable food) and poor dietary intake are likely contributors to health disparities in these populations. Unemployment, poverty, ethnic minority status, and rural residence are also strong predictors of poor health. The need to provide accessible and affordable healthy food options to support improved immune system function to higher-risk populations has therefore become increasingly urgent as the pandemic unfolds. Nutritional status is believed to play a key role in the prevention, treatment, and management of COVID-19, with a balanced diet and certain nutrients serving to strengthen the immune system. Yet, even as the need for nutritious food options has become more urgent, the pandemic has led to enormous food industry job loss, closing of food-related businesses, loss of restaurant and institutional markets for small to mid-sized farmers, and excess produce being wasted or donated to food banks /pantries where the capacity to store and distribute this volume of perishable food is limited. These effects have dramatically amplified food insecurity,1 particularly in minority and low income populations. Equiti Foods LLC is advancing Good Bowls, a production and distribution platform to increase availability of healthy, affordable, locally-produced, good-tasting frozen meals to low income and minority populations in small towns and rural communities, while also providing economic opportunities for small businesses in rural communities. The meals are based on the Mediterranean diet adapted for taste preferences and seasonal availability of food in the southeastern US (“Med-South Diet”). Equiti Foods has tested the Med-South diet in multiple studies and found beneficial health impacts in low income populations as well as broad acceptability regarding taste. This Phase I administrative supplement will focus on tailoring the platform for application in current COVID-19 impacted regional economies and business environments. The goal is to assist in minimizing the health, financial and social impacts of the pandemic in health disparity populations. Specific aims include: 1) work with three identified restaurants/caterers in rural economically distressed communities (including one Black- owned and one Latinx-owned) to test the Good Bowls model; 2) assess early stage nutrition impact on customers adversely affected by COVID-19 in terms of food security, diet quality and healthy food knowledge/behaviors; 3) incorporate COVID-19-related health messaging into the Good Bowls packaging tailored to local communities. If successful, this project will establish feasibility of a Good Bowls model that will: 1) empower small scale food producers, invigorating local economies; 2) prevent food waste resulting from COVID-disrupted food distribution chains; 3) provide at-risk populations with nutritious food to assist in prevention and management of COVID-19.