Fighting through food deserts

The strong and repetitive thudding of heavy boxing bags and gloves echoes through the gym on West Pico while boxing coach José Saucedo, stands watch. “No no—Don’t break form when you get tired, Miguel,” he says.

Saucedo is one of the founders Westside Boxing Club. This boxing gym is unlike the others in that, while it appeals to many people in the Pico-Union community, it is especially focused on the needs of the children. Why? Saucedo says he hopes he can change their food consumption habits and lifestyles.

Some of these kids come to the boxing club everyday after school to channel their energy and get a great workout. I spoke to Saucedo’s staff about the focus of his trainees and they said, that they have to be like that if they want to get out of the Southside of Mid-City Los Angeles, a tough inner-city low-income neighborhood, known for being densely diverse.

The gym smells like hard work and so do the boys training there. Saucedo says that’s the way it should be. He feels that boxing should be used as a tool to become a better person, adding, “nothing worth it in life, comes easily."

Saucedo educates his kids on taking care of themselves, physically, inside and out. His role in this journey to a healthy L.A. is to train the youth to value fitness. He said, “I know there is a major food desert here, but I keep telling them to make the right food choices and they will see the pay off right here [in the gym], " and then he finished with, "That’s reason enough.”

Maybe their fight is to beat the odds of their socioeconomic conditions and escape a generation full of fast food and unhealthy life choices. As a matter of a fact, minorities with high economic disparities are further at risk for obesity than people without as many economic disparities.

But their geographic location isn’t helping their odds. South Central Los Angeles is home to one of the vastest food deserts.  Over the years, our country has shifted from an agricultural society to an industrialized center. Food scarcity’s accompaniment with the cycle of childhood obesity in Mid-City L.A is a shared condition throughout all of South Central. So, who is going to end this progression?

Well, it’s not going to happen overnight, but like these small, determined fighters in this community at Westside Boxing Club, other groups are doing their part to stamp out childhood obesity and food scarcity. Many of their focuses came from people struggling to find good and healthy food.

Los Angeles County has one of the highest obesity ratings in the state of California. Even more interestingly, minority groups like African-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Latinos rank among the highest for the childhood obesity. These cultures form a majority-minority community in some pockets of Los Angeles.

On a mission to bring quick, cheap, and easy food to the heart of south central, Sam Polk with the help of David Foster brought another vision to life just south of downtown Los Angeles. Polk and Foster had worked with the non-profit Groceryships, an organization that helped families all over South L.A. have healthy food options through nutrition education, cooking classes and free produce.

From the looks of the area, you probably think I’m telling you about the duo relocating and transforming a stylish McDonald's or Taco Bell, but no. Polk and Foster decided to bring change from the inside-out by providing healthy and affordable food for everyone in the community. Their restaurant, Everytable, is a small trendy cafe with floor-to-ceiling windows and sunny orange and teal graphics on white walls. It features an array of healthy options, reflecting the multiethnic surrounding community. Among them are Mediterranean Mezze, a Mediterranean bowl with hummus and veggies, also the Wintertime Kale Salad, and the most popular the Chicken Puebla Tinga, a dish with chicken, black beans, and rice.

Everytable is located three blocks north of USC’s campus at the bend of West 23rd street and Hoover. The service is quick and easy and it seems like even the downtown Angelenos love it, not only for the delicious options.  Part of that reason could be the price. Just about everything is four dollars or less.

Restaurant manager Ricky Porter stated the reasoning for the price point of four dollars is simple. He said, “South Central is extremely diverse having a population with low or limited incomes so our business model made sure that the price of plate at every Everytable location was affordable for the residents of that neighborhood.”

From their business model from their method low-cost production, Everytable also thinks about the community as it paves the way in community outreach daily. Any of the plates that do not get sold in stores get donated to homeless shelters.

Porter also describes how they formed the menu, staying health-conscious. He said, “Our menu is based off of cuisines to match our neighborhood" -- foods commonly served, but healthier versions. "And you’re paying less for better food to be served to you."

Similar to Everytable, With Love Market and Café, has joined the fray to cater to the community’s healthy food needs. This casual full-service eatery offers grab-and go options and an on-site market featuring organic products and produce. The restaurant operates in Central L.A. on South Vermont. It, too, works. Founder Andrew McDowell said, "We know that we’re just a piece of the puzzle, but when you’re addressing major social needs, it’s a never-ending battle.”

It’s going to take more champions of good health to wage war on obesity in our communities. But, the fight cannot be wage on one front, it has got to be a total effort.