August 2009 - Our Voice in Action

Healthy Eating - All Boxed Up!

by Catherine Schwartz Mendez, MSc, RD, Public Health Nutritionist, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

It's a concept with staying power. Whether it's called “Good Food Box”, “Healthy Living Food Box”, or “Fresh Food Box”, these programs are all modelled after a program that was pioneered in 1994 by FoodShare in Toronto. Since then, they have been popping up across the country. There are now over 60 of these programs across Canada, with approximately 40 in Ontario alone. They all have much the same story. In January of 1994, FoodShare packed forty Good Food Boxes in the basement of their office. By 2003 they were distributing 4,000 boxes per month through 200 neighbourhood-based drop-offs.

Good Food Box programs run like a large buying club with centralized buying and co-ordination. Once or twice a month individuals place orders for boxes with volunteer co-ordinators in their neighbourhood and receive a box brimming with fresh produce.

Customers pay between $12 and $32 for their box, depending on the version that they choose. Each box contains the same items, though the contents change with each delivery, depending on what is in season and a reasonable price.

Programs choose locally-grown products for the box whenever possible because they want to know where and how the food is produced, support local farmers and reduce the fossil fuels burned when we import food. Customers pay the cost of the food itself, while distribution overheads are subsidized. The boxes are accompanied by a newsletter that offers nutrition information, as well as easy and economical food preparation tips.

Evaluation of the Good Food Box shows that participating in the program helps people access a more nutritious diet. It is now thought that up to 70% of deaths result from diet-related diseases, and there is mounting evidence that eating enough vegetables and fruit is essential for preventing disease. Not only is it a matter of justice that everyone should have access to the food they need to keep them healthy - it also makes economic sense. The costs to the health care system that result from treating preventable diseases are enormous – Good Food Box programs make top-quality, fresh food available in a way that does not stigmatize people, fosters community development and promotes healthy eating.

Consider how you can support the Good Food Box program in your community.