Good, nutritious food is at the core of a healthy lifestyle, yet many Americans don't eat well — and it's taking a toll on public health.
Eating a healthy diet can be challenging — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which puts more strain on the food system, from added pressure on manufacturing to keep up with demand, to more families thrown into food insecurity due to unemployment.
That's why the American Heart Association established the Foodscape Innovation Awards to recognize leading-edge innovations by the food and beverage industry to make the healthy choice the easy, accessible choice for all consumers.
Twenty-six organizations submitted applications showcasing positive changes in the food industry. From those, a panel of judges with expertise in areas such as nutrition, food science, agricultural or environmental sciences, retail, food manufacturing and public health, narrowed down the applications to three finalists, and the public is invited to help select a favorite for the Foodscape Innovation Consumer Choice Award.
"There are companies and organizations that are adapting and making positive changes in food access, sustainability and nutrition security," said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, the American Heart Association's chief medical officer for prevention. "Our goal in recognizing these changes is to show that systems change is not only possible; it’s happening."
The finalists are:
ImPACKful Food: A unique approach to addressing food insecurity and poor diet among people with or at risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Members are provided with free, condition-specific healthy meals delivered directly to their homes through a partnership with Speak Retail Group, while also receiving ongoing one-on-one nutritional coaching and support from a personal health advisor.
Moonflower Farms: Relying almost exclusively on rainwater to control costs and environmental impact, this urban hydroponic farm provides high-quality produce year-round at affordable prices to residents in historically underserved communities and donates produce to local charitable food systems.
Restorative Farms: These professionally-run, small-scale, urban farms operate in a hub-and-spoke model to promote economic sustainability. Located in South Dallas, an underserved community, Restorative Farms provides jobs, vocational training and healthy food for the Dallas market while also providing the same food at affordable prices to their community neighbors.
Go to heart.org/foodinnovationawards, now through October 16 to choose your favorite innovation. A Consumer Choice Award and Innovation Excellence Award will be named later this year.