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  • About
    • About FLHHN
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Food, Nutrition & Food Action

“The relationship between human health and plant-based food and nutrition has existed for centuries, as has food deprivation. Research undertaken in the last twenty years has more thoroughly linked negative health, poor nutrition and food insecurity, the latter considered to be a complex, global social-health crisis poignantly exposed during COVID-19 (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015; Porter, 2018; Wolfson & Leung, 2020)” (Fleming, 2021).
 
Food action is a broad subject with many different facets including food security, food literacy, and food advocacy. The horticulture for health focus is on awareness of these topics, providing resources for further investigation or participation. Support for initiatives that encourage food security and food literacy where horticulture plays a significant role. Other organizations focus on advocacy.
 
Food
Nutrition
Food Action
 
Refer to categories Landscapes for Health – community gardens & urban farms, and in this category of Food, Nutrition & Food Action – the other subsets for related resources.
Picture
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
FOOD - PLANTS
​

Health outcomes are well documented where the consumption of high quality, plant-based diets are linked to a reduced risk for cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes mellitus, neurodegenerative disease, cancer and all-cause mortality (Derbyshire, 2017; Sofi et al., 2010). “Consumer driven trends for healthy, local and sustainably grown edible plants has created demand within the green industry; food purchase patterns across healthcare, hospitality and educational sectors substantiate this trend (Lazaroiu et al., 2019)” (Fleming, 20xx). This growing sector, comprising businesses, non-profit groups, food advocacy organizations, health professionals and individuals span issues like innovative plant products, dietary and nutrition research, regulatory factors, food systems, plant-specific horticulture science, correlations to specific health diagnoses, and more.
 
Resources on plants-based food, and their connection to health are extensive. The resources listed here were selected, meant to be a starting point for further investigation.
 
Refer to nutrition subset in this category for related resources and category Horticultural Practices.  
Key organizations
American Institute for Cancer Research 
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences NC State University   
Institute of Food Technologists   
USDA – US department responsible for agriculture, food, policy  
US Food and Drug Administration – a department within US Dept. of Health & Human Services, USDA is responsible for safety & security of the nation’s food supply…dietary supplements” along with other areas. 
BOOKS, JOURNALS & EPUBLICATIONS ON FOOD​
Advances in Food and Nutrition Research 
Foods journal  
Nutrients journal  
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition journal   
USDA My Plate   
USDA Food and Nutrition   
RESEARCH & ARTICLES ON FOOD​​
 ​Recently published selected research & articles:

Ahnen, R.T., Jonnalagadda, S.S. & Slavin, J.L. (2019). Role of plant protein in nutrition, wellness, and health. Nutr Rev. 77(11):735-747. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuz028

Alcorta, A., Porta, A., Tárrega, A., Alvarez, M.D. & Vaquero, M.P. (2021). Foods for plant-based diets: Challenges and innovations. Foods 10(2):293. doi: 10.3390/foods10020293

Bazerghi, C., McKay, F.H. & Dunn, M. (2016). The role of food banks in addressing food insecurity: A systematic review. J Community Health 41(4):732-40. doi: 10.1007/s10900-015-0147-5

Burke, E. (2018). Expanding the social performance of food production landscapes: Measuring health and well-being benefits. Landscape Research 43(5):587-599.

Carrero, J.J., González-Ortiz, A., Avesani, C.M., Bakker, S.J.L., Bellizzi, V., Chauveau, P., Clase, C.M.,

Cupisti, A., Espinosa-Cuevas, A., Molina, P., Moreau, K., Piccoli, G.B., Post, A., Sezer, S. & Fouque, D. (2020). Plant-based diets to manage the risks and complications of chronic kidney disease. Nat Rev Nephrol. 16(9):525-542. doi: 10.1038/s41581-020-0297-2.

Chen, X. et al. (2019). Dietary patterns and cognitive health in older adults: A systematic review. J Alzheimer’s Dis. 67:583-619. doi: 10.3233/JAD-199002

Chen, Z. et al. (2018). Plant versus animal based diets and insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: the Rotterdam Study. Eur J Epidemiol. 33:883-893. doi: 10.1007/s10654-018-0414-8

Cheng, A. (2018). Review: Shaping a sustainable food future by rediscovering long-forgotten ancient grains. Plant Sci. 269:136-142. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.01.018

Cheng, A., Mayes, S., Dalle, G., Demissew, S. & Massawe, F. (2017). Diversifying crops for food and nutrition security - a case of teff. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 92(1):188-198. doi: 10.1111/brv.12225

​Cohen, J.F.W., Hecht, A.A., McLoughlin, G.M., Turner, L. & Schwartz, M.B. (2021). Universal school meals and associations with student participation, attendance, academic performance, diet quality, food security, and body mass index: A systematic review. Nutrients 13(3):911. doi: 10.3390/nu13030911

Cusworth, G., Garnett, T. & Lorimer, J. (2021). Legume dreams: The contested futures of sustainable plant-based food systems in Europe. Glob Environ Change 69:102321. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102321

Derbyshire, E.J. (2017). Flexitarian diets and health: A review of the evidence-based literature. Frontiers in Nutrition 3:55. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2016.00055

Feeding America. (2021). Healthy communities need healthy food. https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/our-approach/meet-nutritional-needs

Fleming, L. (20xx). Horticulture for health framework. Acta Horticulturae (in press).

Kevany, K.M., Baur, G. & Wang, G.C. (2018). Shifting food systems: Increasing well-being through plant-based approaches. Explore (NY) 14(6):435-442. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2018.04.012
​
Lazaroiu, G., Andronie, M., Uta, C. & Hurloiu, I. (2019). Trust management in organic agriculture: Sustainable consumption behavior, environmentally conscious purchase intention, and healthy food choices. Frontiers in Public Health 7:340. http://doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00340

Lynch, H., Johnston, C. & Wharton, C. (2018). Plant-based diets: Considerations for environmental impact, protein quality, and exercise performance. Nutrients (12):1841. doi: 10.3390/nu10121841

McClements, D.J. & Grossmann, L. (2021). The science of plant-based foods: Constructing next-generation meat, fish, milk, and egg analogs. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 20(4):4049-4100. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12771

McMacken, M. & Shah, S. (2017). A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Geriatric Cardiology 14:342-354. doi: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.009

Misuraca Ignaczak, N. (2014). 20 urban food forests from around the world. Shareable. https://www.shareable.net/blog/20-urban-food-forests-from-around-the-world

Nelson, M. et al. (2016). Alignment of healthy dietary patterns and environmental sustainability: A systematic review. Adv Nutr. 7:1005-25. doi: 10.3945/an.116.012567

Rajaram, S. et al. (2019). Plant-based dietary patterns, plant foods, and age-related cognitive decline. Adv Nutr. 10:S422-436.  doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz081

Satija, A. et al. (2016). Plant-based dietary patterns and incidence of Type 2 diabetes in US men and women: Results from three prospective cohort studies. PLoS Med. 13(6):e1002039. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039

Satija, A. et al. (2017). Healthful and unhealthful plant-based diets and the risk of coronary heart disease in US adults. J American College of Cardiology 70(4):411-422. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.05.047

Satija, A. & Hu, F. (2018). Pant-based diets and cardiovascular health. Trends Cardiovascular Medicine 28(7):437-441. doi: 10.1016/j.tcm.2018.02.004

Sofi, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G.F. & Casini, A. (2010). Accruing evidence of benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on health: An updated systemic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 92(5):1189-1196 https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2010.29673

Storz, M.A. (2021). Lifestyle adjustments in long-COVID management: Potential benefits of plant-based diets. Curr Nutr Rep. 10:1–12. doi: 10.1007/s13668-021-00369-x

Storz, M.A. (2021). What makes a plant-based diet? A review of current concepts and proposal for a standardized plant-based dietary intervention checklist. Eur J Clin Nutr. doi: 10.1038/s41430-021-01023-z

Trautwein, E.A. & McKay, S. (2020). The role of specific components of a plant-based diet in management of dyslipidemia and the impact on cardiovascular risk. Nutrients 12(9):2671. doi: 10.3390/nu12092671

Willett, W., et al. (2019). Food in the anthropocene: The EA-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet Commission. 393(10170):447-492. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31788-4

World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. (2018). Diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer: A global perspective. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. dietandcancerreport.org.
EXAMPLES OF PLANT-BASED FOOD​
Grow food in urban small spaces – urban gardening using containers, grow bags, portable pots
H.E.A.R.T Village in Lake Wales Fl. transforms sandy plot into a thriving food production site
2 acre tropical food forest project: Start to finish using permaculture principles in Ft. Myers, FL               
VIDEOS & WEBINARS ON PLANT-BASED FOOD​​
Plants for Human Health Institute offers articles related to this topic.
Growing mushrooms using organic waste, circular economy and nutritious mushroom production.
New research on plant-based diets and mortality from Healthcare Triage
Plant-based food diets and cancer video from University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center dietician               
RELATED ORGANIZATIONS ​​
Plant Based Foods Association  
Written & compiled by Lesley Fleming, Brandy-Joe Milliron Nov 2021
NUTRITION
“The impact of nutrition as an important health determinant impacting brain fatigue, mood and inflammation has been validated by research from the emerging field of nutritional cognitive neuroscience (Selhub & Logan, 2012; Zamroziewicz & Barbey, 2016)” (Fleming, 20xx).  Nutrition, specifically, nutrition provided from plants, impacts all aspects of health, not just those noted above. The effect on populations with limited access to good nutrition is being addressed by a range of strategies including nutrition counseling, therapeutic horticulture, school food programs and school gardens, food Rx models and food literacy.
 
Resources on plants-based nutrition, and their connection to health are extensive. The resources listed here were selected, meant to be a starting point for further investigation.
 
Refer to food subset in this category for related resources. ​
Key organizations
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics  
American Society for Nutrition (ASN) – vison is a healthier world through evidence-based nutrition, advancing the science, education, and practice of nutrition
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences NC State University  
Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) – variety of programs, resources specifically geared to children &
nutrition   
Institute of Food Technologists   
USDA Food and Nutrition Service – mission to increase food security & reduce hunger by providing
& low-income people access to food, healthful diet & nutrition education supporting American horticulture   
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) “works to improve health & well-being of Americans by developing & promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to nutrition needs of consumers.” 
Books, journals & epublications ON NUTRITION​
Campbell, T.C. (2014). Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition. BenBella Books.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 Edition. 
Feeding America. (2021). Nutrition in Food Banking Toolkit (2nd edition).
Hicks, J.M. (2011). Healthy Eating, Healthy World: Unleashing the Power of Plant-based Nutrition.
BenBella Books.
Journal of Food Science 
Journal of Nutrition, Education & Behavior   
Nutrients journal  
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition journal   
Research & articles on nutrition​

 Recently published selected research & articles:
 
Angeles-Agdeppa, I., Monville-Oro, E., Gonsalves, J. F., & Capanzana, M. V. (2019). Integrated school based nutrition programme improved the knowledge of mother and schoolchildren. Maternal & Child Nutrition 15 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):e12794. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12794

Charlton, K., Comerford, T., Deavin, N. & Walton, K. (2021). Characteristics of successful primary school-based experiential nutrition programmes: A systematic literature review. Public Health Nutr. 24(14):4642-4662. doi: 10.1017/S1368980020004024

Choi, J-Y., Park, S-A., Jung, S-J, Lee, J-Y., Son, K-C., An, Y-J. & Lee, S-W. (2016). Physiological and psychological responses of humans to the index of greenness of an interior space. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 28:37-43.  doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.08.002

Cutillo, A., Rathore, N., Reynolds, N., Hilliard, L., Haines, H., Whelan, K. & Madan-Swain, A. (2015). A literature review of nature-based therapy and its application in cancer care. J Therapeutic Horticulture 25(1):3-14.

de Medeiros, G.C.B.S., de Azevedo, K.P.M., Garcia, D.Á., de Oliveira Segundo, V.H., de Sousa Mata, Á.N., de Siqueira, K.S.D.P., Fernandes, A.K.P., Santos, R.P.D., de Brito Trindade, D.D.B., de Oliveira, Lyra, C. & Piuvezam, G. (2019). Protocol for systematic reviews of school-based food and nutrition education intervention for adolescent health promotion: Evidence mapping and syntheses. Medicine (Baltimore) 98(35):e16977. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000016977

Derbyshire, E.J. (2017). Flexitarian diets and health: A review of the evidence-based literature. Frontiers in Nutrition 3:55. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00055

Doustmohammadian, A., Omidvar, N. & Shakibazadeh, E. (2020). School-based interventions for promoting food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) in elementary school children: A systematic review protocol. Syst Rev. 9(1):87. doi: 10.1186/s13643-020-01339-0

Fleming, L. (20xx). Horticulture for health framework. Acta Horticulturae (in press).

Gaikwad, K.B., Rani, S., Kumar, M., Gupta, V., Babu, P.H., Bainsla, N.K. & Yadav, R. (2020). Enhancing the nutritional quality of major food crops through conventional and genomics-assisted breeding. Front Nutr. 7:533453. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.533453

Greer, A.E., Davis, S., Sandolo, C., Gaudet, N. & Castrogivanni, B. (2018). Agricultural experiences are positively associated with high school students' fruit and vegetable perceptions and consumption. J Nutr Educ Behav. 50(2):133-140.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2017.08.009

Heady, D,D. & Alderman, H.H. (2019). The relative caloric prices of healthy and unhealthy foods differ systematically across income levels and continents. The Journal of Nutrition 149(11):2020-2033. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz158

Klem, S. (2021). Food sources of 5 important nutrients for vegetarians. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/vegetarian-and-special-diets/food-sources-of-important-nutrients-for-vegetarians

Lai, I.J., Chang, L.C., Lee, C.K. & Liao, L.L. (2021). Nutrition literacy mediates the relationships between multi-level factors and college students' healthy eating behavior: Evidence from a cross-sectional study. Nutrients 13(10):3451. doi: 10.3390/nu13103451

Landry, M.J., van den Berg, A.E., Hoelscher, D.M., Asigbee, F.M., Vandyousefi, S., Ghaddar, R., Jeans, M.R., Waugh, L., Nikah, K., Sharma, S.V. & Davis, J.N. (2021). Impact of a school-based gardening, cooking, nutrition intervention on diet intake and quality: The TX Sprouts randomized controlled trial. Nutrients 13(9):3081. doi: 10.3390/nu13093081

Liu, W., Zou, M., Wang, Y., Cao, F. & Su, E. (2021). Ginkgo seed proteins: Characteristics, functional properties and bioactivities. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 76(3):281-291. doi: 10.1007/s11130-021-00916-5

Lott, M. & Story, M. (2019). The future of healthy eating research. Stanford Social Innovation Review.  https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_future_of_healthy_eating_research

Makizako, H., Tsutsumimoto, K., Doi, T., Nakakubo, S., Liu-Ambrose, T. & Shimada, H. (2015). Effects of exercise and horticulture intervention on brain and mental health in older adults with depressive symptoms and memory problems: Study protocol. Trials. 16-499. doi: 10.1186/s13063-015-1032-3

McClements, D.J. (2020). Development of next-generation nutritionally fortified plant-based milk substitutes: Structural design principles. Foods 9(4):421. doi: 10.3390/foods9040421

Milliron, B. (20xx). Creating a more powerful framework for healthcare promotion, research, and teaching: An eco-biopsychosocial model. Acta Horticulturae (in press).

Nury, E., Sarti, A., Dijkstra, C., Seidell, J.C. & Dedding, C. (2017). Sowing seeds for healthier diets: Children's perspectives on school gardening. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(7):688. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14070688

Ohri-Vachaspati, P., Turner, L., Adams, M.A., Bruening, M. & Chaloupka, F.J. (2016). School resources and engagement in technical assistance programs is associated with higher prevalence of salad bars in elementary school lunches in the United States. J Acad Nutr Diet. 116(3):417-426. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.10.023

Pak, S. (2021). PBFA analysis: Final 2020-2025 U.S. dietary guidelines for Americans. https://www.plantbasedfoods.org/pbfa-analysis-final-2020-2025-u-s-dietary-guidelines-for-americans/

Palar, K, Lemus Hufstedler, E., Hernandez, K., Chang, A., Ferguson, L., Lozano, R. & Weiser, S.D. (2019). Nutrition and health improvements after participation in an urban home garden program. J Nutr Educ Behav. 51(9):1037-1046. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.06.028

Plant Based Foods Association. (2021). PBFA endorses the healthy future students and earth act. https://www.plantbasedfoods.org/pbfa-endorses-the-healthy-future-students-and-earth-act/

Prescott, M.P., Cleary, R., Bonanno, A., Costanigro, M., Jablonski, B.B.R. & Long, A.B. (2020). Farm to school activities and student outcomes: A systematic review. Adv Nutr. 11(2):357-374. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz094

Rains, C.B., Giombi, K.C. & Joshi, A. (2019). Farm-to-school education grants reach low-income children and encourage them to learn about fruits and vegetables. Transl Behav Med. 9(5):910-921. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibz092

Robinson-O'Brien, R., Story, M. & Heim, S. (2009). Impact of garden-based youth nutrition intervention programs: A review. J Am Diet Assoc. 109(2):273-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.051

Sabra, C. (2016). Connecting to self and nature. J Therapeutic Horticulture 26(1).

Sadegholvad, S., Yeatman, H., Parrish, A.M. & Worsley, A. (2017). What should be taught in secondary schools' nutrition and food systems education? Views from prominent food-related professionals in Australia. Nutrients 9(11):1207. doi: 10.3390/nu9111207

Savitz, J. (2021). How coffee affects health. Institute of Food Technologists. https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2021/november/columns/nutrition-and-diet-coffee-affects-health

Savoie-Roskos, M.R., Wengreen, H. & Durward, C. (2017). Increasing fruit and vegetable intake among children and youth through gardening-based interventions: A systematic review. J Acad Nutr Diet. 117(2):240-250. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.10.014

Scazzocchio, B., Varì, R., d'Amore, A., Chiarotti, F., Del Papa, S., Silenzi, A., Gimigliano, A., Giovannini, C. & Masella, R. (2021). Promoting health and food literacy through nutrition education at schools: The Italian experience with MaestraNatura Program. Nutrients 13(5):1547. doi: 10.3390/nu13051547

Schürmann, S., Kersting, M. & Alexy, U. (2017). Vegetarian diets in children: A systematic review. Eur J Nutr. 56(5):1797-1817. doi: 10.1007/s00394-017-1416-0

Selhub, E. & Logan, A. (2012). The brain on nature’s nutrients: Nutri-ecopsychology. In E. Selhub & A. Logan (Eds.). Your Brain on Nature The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Health, Happiness, and Vitality. John Wiley & Sons Canada Inc.

Sharps, M.A., Thomas, E. & Blissett, J.M. (2020). Using pictorial nudges of fruit and vegetables on tableware to increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption. Appetite 114:104457. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104457

Simmet, A., Depa, J., Tinnemann, P. & Stroebele-Benschop, N. (2017). The nutritional quality of food provided from food pantries: A systematic review of existing literature. J Acad Nutr Diet. 117(4):577-588. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.08.015

Skelton, K.R., Lowe, C., Zaltz, D.A. & Benjamin-Neelon, S.E. (2020). Garden-based interventions and early childhood health: An umbrella review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 17(1):121. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-01023-5

Sofi, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G.F. & Casini, A. (2010). Accruing evidence of benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet on health: An updated systemic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 92(5):1189-1196.

Sorokina, M., McCaffrey, K.S., Deaton, E.E., Ma, G., Ordovás, J.M., Perkins-Veazie, P.M., Steinbeck, C., Levi, A. & Parnell, L.D. (2021). A catalog of natural products occurring in watermelon Citrullus lanatus. Front. Nutr. 8:729822. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.729822

Springmann, M., Wiebe, K., Mason-D'Croz, D., Sulser, T.B., Rayner, M. & Scarborough, P. (2018). Health and nutritional aspects of sustainable diet strategies and their association with environmental impacts: A global modelling analysis with country-level detail. Lancet Planet Health 2(10):e451-e461. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30206-7

Taft S.B. (2008). The use of therapeutic horticulture in cancer support. J Therapeutic Horticulture 18: 44-57.

Toribio-Mateas, M.A., Bester, A. & Klimenko, N. (2021). Impact of plant-based meat alternatives on the gut microbiota of consumers: A real-world study. Foods 10(9):2040. doi: 10.3390/foods10092040

Turner, L. & Calvert, H.G. (2019). The academic, behavioral, and health influence of summer child nutrition programs: A narrative review and proposed research and policy agenda. J Acad Nutr Diet. 119(6):972-983. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2019.02.006

Turner, L., O'Reilly, N., Ralston, K. & Guthrie, J.F. (2019). Identifying gaps in the food security safety net: The characteristics and availability of summer nutrition programmes in California, USA. Public Health Nutr. 22(10):1824-1838. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018004135

USDA (2021). Farm to school literature review. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cfs/farm-school-census-and-comprehensive-review

USDA (2021).  Farmers market nutrition program. https://www.fns.usda.gov/fmnp/wic-farmers-market-nutrition-program

Vamos, S.D., Wacker, C.C., Welter, V.D.E. & Schlüter, K. (2021). Health literacy and food literacy for k-12 schools in the COVID-19 pandemic. J Sch Health 91(8):650-659. doi: 10.1111/josh.13055

Vaziri, A. & Dus, M. (2021). Brain on food: The neuroepigenetics of nutrition. Neurochem Int. 149:105099. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105099

Wichrowski, M., Whiteson, J., Haas, F., Mola, A. & Rey, M.J. (2005). Effects of horticultural therapy on mood and heart rate in patients participating in an inpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program. J Cardiopulm Rehabil. 25(5):270-4. doi: 10.1097/00008483-200509000-00008

Zamroziewicz, M.K. & Barbey, A.K. (2016). Nutritional cognitive neuroscience: Innovations for healthy brain aging. Frontiers of Neuroscience 10:240. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00240

- (2021). The microbiome, nutrition and health: Assembling pieces of a complex puzzle. Institute News. https://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/2021/09/07/the-microbiome-nutrition-and-health-assembling-pieces-of-a-complex-puzzle/
Examples of NUTRITION PROGRAMS​
Cooking Matters provides curricula designed to teach parents and caregivers with a limited food budget to shop for and cook healthy meals. They provide education through interactive, hands-on and digital tools and resources.
              
Fresh Rx supports the regional food system in Florida by purchasing fresh produce from local, family-owned farms that use organic growing practices and providing it to nutritionally vulnerable members of the community through the following initiatives: Fresh Rx Hospitals, Fresh Rx Kids, Fresh Rx Express.

Front yard food forest tour in Pensacola, FL

Let’s get raw! Kids talk school gardens & salad bars focusing on nutrition literacy in conjunction with Whole Kids Foundation
 
Mosswood Farm Store’s food forest, hugelkutur beds & permaculture demonstration site in Micanopy, FL
                
Plant-based nutrition for healthy black communities- Plant power to the people! World Food Day 2020 panel of doctors share nutrition info
                
Podcast Fresh produce – ready to eat and ready to explore from Institute of Food Technologists Sci dish series              
Videos & webinars oN NUTRITION​​
Optimizing nutrient release from plant-based foods research from Dr. Cathrina Edwards, Quadram Institute

Phipps Conservatory’s plant-forward nutrition basics webinar, video, blog
 
Plant based/nutrition conference session 111 panel overcoming barriers to dietary change
                
Plants, the microbiome, and mental health TEDXMileHigh talk from C. Lowry & positives of eating greater variety of plants
                                
Vegetarian Nutrition practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics webinars
              
Website https://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/2020/01/15/starting-the-year-off-with-a-bam/
Related organizations ​
Afro-Vegan Society
Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics  
University of Florida Extension
Written & compiled by Lesley Fleming, Brandy-Joe Milliron Nov 2021
FOOD ACTION INITIATIVES
“Food action, a newer term referring to a broad range of initiatives addressing food security, focus on using food to alleviate health deficits and hunger. Organizations supporting food security, many focused on particular elements of food insecurity, have emerged including food literacy groups like dietician-led school food programs, food upskilling festivals from ecology groups, and Washington State University Bread Lab’s whole-grain bread promotion among cooks, educators, students, and entrepreneurs (Food Tank, 2016; Island Food Network, 2019) (Fleming, 20xx).
 
Strategies for food action include traditional and alternative food networks – food alliances, community food banks, expanding number of farmers’ markets, community kitchens and freezers, mobile and pop-up food markets, community bulk buying clubs, food pharmacies, meal programs, seed exchanges and many more. As noted in previous categories of the horticulture for health framework, community gardens, urban farms and also small scale food production sites including home gardens are part of food action. The variety of horticulture-focuses initiatives addressing food security continues to expand.
 
This very broad subject is beyond the capabilities of this resource database. The intention is that these resources can assist in a search for further information while sharing some effective models.
 
Refer to categories Landscapes for Health – community gardens and urban farms.
Key organizations
Feeding America – supports a network of over 200 food banks, connecting them with food, funds,
and partnership in four key areas: food programs, food rescue, disaster response and hunger research.  
Feeding Florida  
Feeding South Florida   
Food Secure Canada – an alliance of organizations & individuals seek “to advance food security &
food sovereignty through three interlocking goals: zero hunger, healthy & safe food, and sustainable food systems”    
Food Tank – a global community advocating for food system change 
HEAL Food Alliance – organization focused on building food systems that are sustainable, accessible,
fair & health-focused   
Slow Food USA – “works at creating change in food systems, reconnecting Americans with people,
tradition, plants, animals, fertile soils and water that produce food…that is good, clean & fair”  
The Community Food Security Coalition – a coalition of nearly 300 organizations dedicated to
improving community food security. They provide support through a “comprehensive blend” of training, networking and advocacy.     
USDA Office of Community Food Systems  - has regional contacts, piles of resources, funding for the
more than 7,000 school gardens, farm to school programs, and other organizations
Books, journals & epublications ON food action initiatives​
American Journal of Health Promotion   
CAWR. (2021). Everyday Experts: How Peoples Knowledge can Transform the Food System. (free
download). Retrieved from https://foodsecurecanada.org/resources-news/resources-research/new-book-everyday-experts-how-peoples-knowledge-can-transform-food
Civil Eats               
Food Security The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food journal                
Goodman, D, DuPuis, E. & Goodman, M. (2012). Alternative Food Networks Knowledge, Practice, and Politics. Routledge.
Health Promotion International journal
Journal of Community Health   
Journal of Food Security   
Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition    
Little, A. (2019). The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World. Harmony.
Nutrition and Health Journal  
Ronald, P.C. & Adamchak, R.W. (2018). Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food. Oxford University Press; 2nd edition. 
Research & articles on FOOD ACTION INITIATIVES​

 Recently published selected research & articles:
 
Alemu, M.H. & Grebitus, C. (2020). Towards sustainable urban food systems: Analyzing contextual and intrapsychic drivers of growing food in small-scale urban agriculture. PLoS One 15(12):e0243949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243949

Aragon, N.U., Stuhlmacher, M., Smith, J. P., Clinton, N. & Georgescu, M. (2019). Urban agriculture's bounty: Contributions to Phoenix's sustainability goals. Environ. Res. Lett. 14:105001. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab428f

Bailey, C.J., Drummond, M.J. & Ward, P.R. (2019). Food literacy programmes in secondary schools: A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Public Health Nutr. 22(15):2891-2913. doi: 10.1017/S1368980019001666

Bazereghi, C., McKay, F. & Dunn, M. (2016). The role of food banks in addressing food insecurity: A systemic review. Journal of Community Health 41(4):732-740. doi: 10.1007/s10900-015-0147-5

Beckie, M., Huddart Kennedy, E. & Wittman, H. (2012). Scaling up alternative food networks: Farmers’ markets and the role of clustering in western Canada. Agriculture and Human Value 29(3):333-345.

Buss, D. (2021). Feeding the world better. Food Technology Magazine. https://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/food-technology-magazine/issues/2021/november/features/feeding-the-world-better

Butterfield, K.L. & Ramírez, A.S. (2021). Framing food access: Do community gardens inadvertently reproduce inequality? Health Educ Behav. 48(2):160-168. doi: 10.1177/1090198120950617

Carney, P.A., Hamada, J.L., Rdesinski, R., Sprager, L., Nichols, K.R., Liu, B.Y. Pelayo, J., Sanchez, M.A. & Shannon, J. (2012). Impact of a community gardening project on vegetable intake, food security and family relationships: A community-based participatory research study. J Community Health 37(4):874-81. doi: 10.1007/s10900-011-9522-z

Cullen, T., Hatch, J., Martin, W., Higgins, J.W. & Sheppard, R. (2015). Food literacy: Definition and framework for action. Can J Diet Pract Res. 76(3):140-5. doi: 10.3148/cjdpr-2015-010

Dimitri, C., Oberholtzer, L. & Pressman, A. (2016). Urban agriculture: Connecting producers with consumers. Br. Food J. 118:603–617. doi: 10.1108/BFJ-06-2015-0200

Ecology Action Centre. (2017). The Our Food Project Reconnecting Food and Community 2013-2017. Halifax, NS, Canada: Ecology Action Centre.

El Zein, A., Shelnutt, K.P., Colby, S., Vilaro, M.J., Zhou, W., Greene, G., Olfert, M.D., Riggsbee, K., Morrell, J.S. & Mathews, A.E. (2019). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among U.S. college students: A multi-institutional study. BMC Public Health 19(1):660. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6943-6

Fleming, L. (20xx). Horticulture for health framework. Acta Horticulturae (in press).

Foodtank. (2021). New report reveals how food banks responded to COVID-19. 
https://foodtank.com/news/2021/08/new-report-reveals-how-food-banks-responded-to-covid/

Foodtank. (2021). Indigenous food security at risk following push for conservation plan.
https://foodtank.com/news/2021/08/indigenous-food-security-at-risk-following-push-for-conservation-plan/

Food Tank. (2016). 35 food education organizations. https://foodtank.com/news/2016/09/thirty-five  food-education-organizations/

Fresán, U. & Sabaté, J. (2019). Vegetarian diets: Planetary health and its alignment with human health. Adv Nutr. 10(Suppl_4):S380-S388. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz019

Gallegos, D. & Chilton, M.M. (2019). Re-evaluatinge: Principles for food and nutrition security research, advocacy and solutions in high-income countries. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 16(4):561. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16040561

Gibbs, H.D., Ellerbeck, E.F., Gajewski, B., Zhang, C. & Sullivan, D.K. (2018). The Nutrition Literacy Assessment Instrument (NLit) is a valid and reliable measure of nutrition literacy in adults with chronic disease. J Nutr Educ Behav. 50(3): 247-257. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2017.10.008

Goddu, A., Roberson, T., Raffel, K.,  Chin, M. & Peek, M. (2015). Food Rx: A community-university partnership to prescribe healthy eating on the south side of Chicago. Journal of Preventative Interventions Community 43(2):148-162. doi: 10.1080/10852352.2014.973251

Grafius, D.R., Edmondson, J.L., Norton, B.A., Clark, R., Mears, M., Leake, J.R., Corstanje, R., Harris, J.A. & Warren, P.H. (2020). Estimating food production in an urban landscape. Sci Rep. 10(1):5141. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-62126-4

Grebitus, C. (2021). Small-scale urban agriculture: Drivers of growing produce at home and in community gardens in Detroit. PLoS One 16(9):e0256913. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256913

Island Food Network. (2019). Upskilling. http://islandfoodnetwork.ca/upskilling/

Krause, C., Sommerhalder, K., Beer-Borst, S. & Abel, T. (2018). Just a subtle difference? Findings from a systematic review on definitions of nutrition literacy and food literacy. Health Promot Int. 33(3):378-389. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daw084

Lal, R. (2020). Home gardening and urban agriculture for advancing food and nutritional security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Food Secur. 23:1-6. doi: 10.1007/s12571-020-01058-3

Lane, H.G., Turner, L., Dunn C.G., Hager, E.R. & Fleischhacker, S. (2020). Leveraging implementation science in the public health response to COVID-19 : Child food insecurity and federal nutrition assistance programs. Public Health Rep. 135(6):728-736. doi: 10.1177/0033354920959285

Loopstra, R. & Tarasuk, V. (2013). Perspectives on community gardens, community kitchens and the Good Food Box program in a community-based sample of low-income families. Can J Public Health 104(1):e55-9. doi: 10.1007/BF03405655

Mack, E.A., Tong, D. & Credit, K. (2017). Gardening in the desert: A spatial optimization approach to locating gardens in rapidly expanding urban environments. Int J Health Geogr. 16(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s12942-017-0110-z

Martin, P., Consalès, J.N., Scheromm, P., Marchand, P., Ghestem, F. & Darmon, N. (2017). Community gardening in poor neighborhoods in France: A way to re-think food practices? Appetite 116:589-598. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.023

Milliron, B.J., Vitolins, M.S., Gamble, E., Jones, R., Chenault, M.C., Tooze, J.S. (2017). Process evaluation of a community garden at an urban outpatient Clinic. J Community Health. 42(4): 639-648. doi: 10.1007/s10900-016-0299-y

Nanayakkara, J., Margerison, C. & Worsley, A. (2018). Senior secondary school food literacy education: Importance, challenges, and ways of improving. Nutrients 10(9):1316. doi: 10.3390/nu10091316.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture. (n.d.). Hunger and food security programs. 
https://nifa.usda.gov/program/hunger-food-security-programs
Peduruhewa, P.S., Jayathunge, K.G.L.R. & Liyanage, R. (2021). Potential of underutilized wild edible plants as the food for the future – A review. Journal of Food Security 9(4):136-147.

Perry, E., Thomas, H., Samra, H.R., Edmonstone, S., Davidson, L., Faulkner, A., Petermann, L. Manafò, E. & Kirkpatrick, S.I. (2017). Identifying attributes of food literacy: A scoping review. Public Health Nutr. 20(13):2406-2415. doi: 10.1017/S1368980017001276. 

Tiwari, S. & Ambinakudige, S. (2021). Neighborhood food insecurity index to identify food
vulnerability and food deserts in the United States. Journal of Food Security 9(4):148-159. doi: 10.12691/jfs-94-2.

Thompson, C., Adams, J. & Vidgen, H.A. (2021). Are we closer to international consensus on the term 'food literacy'? A systematic scoping review of its use in the academic literature (1998-2019). Nutrients 13(6):2006. doi: 10.3390/nu13062006.

Ruiz, L.D., Radtke, M.D. & Scherr , R.E. (2021). Development and pilot testing of a food literacy curriculum for high school-aged adolescents. Nutrients 13(5):1532. doi: 10.3390/nu13051532

Sant'Anna de Medeiros, N., do Carmo, D.L., Priore, S.E. & Santos, R.H.S. (2020).  Diverse food in urban gardens in the promotion of food and nutrition security in Brazil: A review. J Sci Food Agric. 100(4):1383-1391. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.10127

Torgrimson, J. (2015). Seed banks are the first line of defense in food security. Seed Savers Exchange
http://blog.seedsavers.org/blog/foodsecurity
Truman, E., Bischoff, M. & Elliott, C. (2020). Which literacy for health promotion: Health, food, nutrition or media? Health Promot Int. 35(2):432-444. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daz007

Ullevig, S.L., Vasquez, L.L., Ratcliffe, L.G., Oswalt, S.B., Lee, N. & Lobitz, C.A. (2021). Establishing a campus garden and food pantry to address food insecurity: Lessons learned. J Am Coll Health 69(6):684-688. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1705830

United Nations. (2021). UN Report: Pandemic Year Marked by Spike in World Hunger.
https://www.who.int/news/item/12-07-2021-un-report-pandemic-year-marked-by-spike-in-world-hunger

Velardo, S. (2015). The nuances of health literacy, nutritional, and food literacy. J Nutr Educ Behav. 47(4):385-9.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2015.04.328

Warren, E., Hawkesworth, S. & Knai, C. (2015). Investigating the association between urban agriculture and food security, dietary diversity, and nutritional status: A systematic literature review. Food Policy 53:54–66. doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.03.004

- (n.d.). What is a food forest? Beacon Food Forest. https://beaconfoodforest.org/earthcare/what-is-a-food-forest
​

- (2021). Mobile markets. Healthy Food Access. https://www.healthyfoodaccess.org/mobile-markets
Examples of food action initiatives​
Cleveland Crops offers agricultural & culinary training to adults with disabilities in Cleveland with the urban farm productive year round
               
DC UrbanGreens nonprofit seeks to increase accessibility to affordable healthy foods for residents living in DC’s food desert neighborhoods                
 
Fleet Farming, a social enterprise & nonprofit in central Florida offers a model where lawns become edible gardens and micro-farms
 
Greener Partners strengthens community health through equitable fresh food access, abundant gardens and farms, and discovery-based learning.
               
GrowNYC promotes food access, agriculture, green space, education, with a website offering resources scalable for other communities
                 
Grow2Heal Hospital Garden in southwest Florida has an affiliated vegetable farm for food production, education re nutrition, at Baptist Health’s Homestead Hospital
                 
Hospital Garden model shows hospital sky farm used for patients & cafeterias, a newer example of horticulture-health connections with a food action focus
                
MANNA is a Philadelphia-based organization that uses nutrition to improve health for people with serious illnesses by providing medically tailored meals and nutrition education.       
               
Nature Rx is a nature prescription program through Cornell Health, in Ithaca, NY. Built on the model first developed by Park Rx American, at Nature Rx, Cornell Health clinicians and mental health providers prescribe nature to students.
              
Nourish Nova Scotia organization administered by registered dieticians, has resources on food literacy programming, school gardens, recipes, guides/templates for letters, fundraising, volunteer recruitment on its site
                               
Plant a Row program from the Garden Communicators International encourages individual gardeners to plant extra produce to be donated to food banks, soup kitchens.               
Videos & webinars oN FOOD ACTION INITIATIVES​​
FoodCloud video explains using food leftovers for Irish communities, scalable for other places. EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017
                
Food Literacy video from Nourish Nova Scotia
                
Food Navigator website has webinars, newsletter 
 
Netflix documentary Rotten highlights the problems with demand for food, security across the globe
                 
Sowing the Seeds of Success was designed in partnership with the American Horticultural Society, and provides instructions for the organizational aspects of developing a gardening program.    
Related organizations ​
Beacon Food Forest   
Dreaming Out Loud Urban Horticulture   
Food Glorious Food – UK  
Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (Detroit)   
National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hunger & Food Security Programs
The Hunger Project   
Urban Harvest (St. Louis, Missouri)   
UNICEF   
United Nations World Food Progamme    
Written & compiled by Lesley Fleming, Daniela Perez Lugones, Brandy-Joe Milliron Nov 2021
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