The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. Thomas A.

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Kenneth Rich
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2 The contributors and editors dedicate this zine to Melissa Dimond for her vision and work in food justice and health equity in Chelsea. Thank you for all the seeds that you have planted in our community! The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. Thomas A. Edison

Table of Contents Letter From the Editors... 3 Fighting for Better School Food by Chimene Agogo... 4 Healthy Lunch Choices at Chelsea High School by Naimo Sabtow.

3 Table of Contents Letter From the Editors... 3 Fighting for Better School Food by Chimene Agogo... 4 Healthy Lunch Choices at Chelsea High School by Naimo Sabtow... 5 Eat the Rainbow by Kenneth Thompson... 6 What are Whole Foods? by Qamar Sabtow... 7 Shopping Healthy at the Market by Daynaba Mohamed... 8 Navigating Your Local Store by Daynaba Mohamed... 9 Fruit Around the Corner by Hassan and Denilson Healthy Breakfast by Giovanna Palencia Added Sugar by Zuhlma Escalante Rethink Your Drink by Maryan Hassan Avocados by Samantha Riche Eat Like a King s...fool by Tiana Jurisic Food Advertising by Halima Hassan Healthy Snacks to Try by Kiya Gugssa Anita s Garden: YFM Urban Agriculture by Madina Hassan Garden Recipes by Madina Hassan Contributors... 22

Letter from the Editors Thank you for reading this zine!

Members of the Healthy Chelsea Coalition wanted to learn about the taste preferences and eating habits of Chelsea youth.

Over the years, this central goal has remained, but the program has expanded to include broader education and work around food justice, health and nutrition, health disparities, and urban gardening.

4 Letter from the Editors Thank you for reading this zine! The Youth Food Movement (YFM) internship was launched in 2010 as a means to address the low participation in school lunch at the high school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Members of the Healthy Chelsea Coalition wanted to learn about the taste preferences and eating habits of Chelsea youth. In the internship's initial stages, participants learned about nutrition and advocating for school food improvement. Over the years, this central goal has remained, but the program has expanded to include broader education and work around food justice, health and nutrition, health disparities, and urban gardening. Middle school and high school interns have participated in workshops and provided community service to learn about and improve the food environment in their community. This is the first zine that YFM has written and published. Each intern thoughtfully selected a topic to investigate and provide education. This collection of articles is a means for YFM interns to share the work that they have accomplished and knowledge that they have acquired with their peers, families, and communities beyond Chelsea. We hope that our publication provides you with relevant information and positive influence. Warmly, Hannah Finnigan and Madelyn Herzog 3

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17 Eat Like the Kings Fool Tiana Jurisic Chelsea is a food desert. In Chelsea, you can buy a lot of food cheaply a table full of food just like a king s! But once you leave Chelsea, there is more opportunities to buy food that is higher in quality and nutrition food made by people, not factories! If you ever leave the city of Chelsea and enter the suburban towns, you might notice less fast food restaurants. Instead, you ll notice supermarket chains like Whole Foods and family restaurants. This is due to food justice inequality. Food justice is equality in food options and equal opportunity to access healthy, fresh food. Chelsea is considered a food desert. A food desert is a place where nutritional food is expensive and difficult for most residents to obtain without a car. Most options are convenience stores and fast food restaurants that are processed and not healthy. Fast food industries target poor cities such as Chelsea, because they know people are in a bind for money so they make cheap food easily accessible. The trend of having fast food easily available and widely promoted in impoverished urban areas needs to stop, because these communities will eventually have a higher price to pay due to medical issues, such as diabetes and obesity. In America, we have a fast food industry that earns almost $200 billion a year, according to a 2015 analysis. Fast food is easily accessible, and it is easier to get your hands on than good quality, fresh, healthy food.the problem with the fast food system (also known as a global industrial food system) is that it contributes to a broad variety of health issues. Child obesity is increasing, and this is becoming a national security problem. According to a CNN interview with Army Major General Allen Batschelet, 10% of army recruits are too obese to fight. He predicts that by 2020 only two of every 10 young people in America will be eligible to fight. As terrorism is rising, we need more people on the defence. We are losing out on people on the frontlines which is leaving us vulnerable to attack. But people do not realize the cost of fast food in the long run. As healthcare costs are rising, the consumer s health is declining. Spending a few extra dollars on food is a better investment than spending a lot on medicine and doctors visits down the road. Because Chelsea is an urban setting, this also means there is limited outdoor spaces. There are not many options for outdoor activities, and adolescents prefer to sit inside on their electronics anyway. This generation is glued to electronics from the minute they wake up until they drift off to sleep. This lack of exercise does not help their diet. As an athlete, I do not feel guilty with a trip to a fast food joint once in a while. But, if you sit around all day and do not do anything, those multiple trips to McDonald s will destroy you! This lack of outdoor spaces and activities is generally less common in wealthier, suburban towns. People push for community spaces, and children have more opportunities to be active. In Chelsea, we do not have many places that are easily accessible and safe. This issue again comes down to socioeconomics. Chelsea is an immigrant city with immigrants that the government treats like statistics. The few parks in the city are used as hangouts for gang members, drug dealers, and alcoholics. They are not safe and children are instead kept in the confines of four walls to protect them from the violence in the streets. Walking down a Chelsea street is like walking through a mini airport. Many languages 16

can be heard, every race seen. There are many language barriers. The language barrier contributes to a lack of education on health.

Children are raised thinking their diets are acceptable and their lack of exercise is not a problem.

We can not allow society to keep putting fast food in front of us while we just keep taking it.

People need to go to community meetings and stop development plans and get parks to be built instead of commercial buildings.

These fast food restaurants are very cheap which helps their success in poor communities like Chelsea.

18 can be heard, every race seen. There are many language barriers. The language barrier contributes to a lack of education on health. The people are not taught about a healthy diet and the importance of exercise which then creates a widespread lack of awareness about these issues. Children are raised thinking their diets are acceptable and their lack of exercise is not a problem. With expensive health care costs, people need to be educated and learn how to eat properly. Healthier options must be provided. We can not allow society to keep putting fast food in front of us while we just keep taking it. Stopping patronage will force the restaurants to shut down and in their place better options will come. People need to go to community meetings and stop development plans and get parks to be built instead of commercial buildings. Stop settling for less than the best, and give your future generations better options!!!!! What Sells in Chelsea: Why? These fast food restaurants are very cheap which helps their success in poor communities like Chelsea. With healthy food less accessible, people are likely to turn to fast food places like these that offer value meals. At McDonald's the Onion Cheddar meal comes with a medium soda, two cheeseburgers, and medium fries. This meal is only five dollars! According to a Harvard School Of Public Health research article, it costs about $1.50 more to eat healthy. Residents in a community like Chelsea can not afford to give that $1.50 everyday when they have more pressing financial issues. What Sells in Wealthier Communities: Why? They have more money to spend on healthy food. Wealthier communities have more resources to promote a healthy lifestyle. 17

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Ideas + Action for a Better City learn more at SPUR.org. tweet about this #FoodisMedicine

Ideas + Action for a Better City learn more at SPUR.org tweet about this event: @SPUR_Urbanist #FoodisMedicine Food is Medicine SPUR February 12, 2019 Rita Nguyen, MD Assistant Health Officer Chronic Disease