Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia’s REACH project, Dismantling the “Kids’ Food” Archetype, took just such an approach to the issue of ultra-processed kids’ food, which is heavily marketed in cities with low-income and minority residents. “This targeted marketing encourages diets with limited variety, which creates resistance to new food, ultimately increasing lifetime risks of obesity and chronic disease,” says Rothpletz-Puglia.
The Hope Village Garden Club reflects a sustainable, community-based model of programming built through phased investment, cross-sector partnership, and ongoing community input. At its core, the initiative demonstrates the importance of listening to community needs and responding through collaborative, service-driven programming that can adapt and grow over time.
Sara Elnakib, PhD, MPH, RDN, of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, co-author of NJ Roadmap for Food System Resilience, and New Jersey Food Democracy Collaborative Network Facilitation Team Member, partnered with the NJFDC to apply for a REACH grant to address this need. They set out to co-develop a solution that would improve access to critical food system data by building a tool that reflects real-world needs—focusing on the data points most relevant to day-to-day operations, resource allocation, and data-driven decision-making.
As part of a four-month experiment in Newark, mothers of preschoolers were given cameras to snap pictures of food that is readily available at supermarkets and restaurants in their community. Of the 814 photographs submitted, the vast majority showed how prevalent ultra-processed foods are on the shelves of stores and menus of restaurant chains.
A new study out of Rutgers Health, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is shedding light on how families view the food choices around them, especially in underserved communities. Researchers in Newark found that something as simple as giving parents cameras to document their surroundings led to a powerful shift in how they think about ultra-processed foods and their impact on children. Joining us now is Dr. Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, professor and lead researcher on the project.