Living in some low-income areas of St. Louis can mean that you don’t have easy access to grocery stores, meaning you may get stuck eating an unhealthy amount processed food. So in comes Turnip1 a bus donated by the St. Louis’ transit department and operated by Metro Market a non-profit organization. It is filled to the brim with fresh foods, from bread and dairy products to meat, fruits and vegetables. It makes regular round of low-income neighborhoods, making available to them foods that they might not be able to get otherwise. The food is provided by local farmers and community gardens.
Shopping on “Turnip1” revolves on membership basis which costs $150. Individuals living in food deserts can receive a free membership or heavily discounted groceries. In order to further assist residents in food deserts they have demonstrations outside of the bus showing shoppers how to prepare nutritious meals with the produce on the bus.
When grocery shopping, I don’t limit myself to one store or one particular neighborhood. One thing I have noticed is shopping at the same grocery store in a different neighborhood provides me with a completely different shopping experience. When shopping in low-income neighborhoods the quality of the fresh produce is completely different than that of an affluent neighborhood. Not only is the quality of the produce better in affluent neighborhoods but the options are endless, you get more than just apples and bananas. Which is why this is such an amazing idea and will help so many people in the community live healthier lives.
The truth is, in low income neighborhoods most of the food options available are unhealthy. You can find more fast food and greasy burger joints in the hood than fresh produce. And what most people don’t realize is the money they spend on fast food would stretch further if they went to the grocery store and cooked their own meals. Turnip1 will help introduce their customers to a healthier way of living and longevity.
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