Box 1.

Two HEP action projects

School Lunch Campaign

In cycle 1, three sites met at the end of their workshops to plan a common campaign. They decided to assess the quality of lunch food served in their schools using three instruments they developed: a student survey, a cafeteria survey, and a food service manager interview. Youth participants conducted research in the spring semester and collected more than 200 student survey forms, and conducted seven cafeteria assessments, and three interviews with food service managers. Later in June, youth representatives from participating groups met with representatives of the NYC Office of SchoolFood to share the results of their assessments. The results indicated that over one third of students surveyed do not eat school lunch and over one half eat it 2 days or less per week, citing the primary deterrents as lack of meal variety and unappealing food. Students recommended that mechanisms be put in place for better communication between students and food service managers, that more fresh produce be added to the menus, and that menus be posted with nutritional benefit labeling. The students were able to impress upon the SchoolFood administration that students are concerned about school food and are willing to provide input. Additionally, 2 years later, a group of cycle 3 students were able to take advantage of HEP’s relationship with SchoolFood to lay the groundwork for a follow-up action project to improve the school meal program at a middle school in their community.

Healthy Value Meal Project

This project was based at an afterschool and summer program for teens operated by a community health center that had a strong focus on health education and sexual health. After determining that junk food was highly available and healthy food less available in their neighborhood, HEP participants asked, “What kinds of prepared foods are available in our neighborhood?” To answer this question, youth surveyed 27 food outlets along four linear blocks of two main intersecting commercial thoroughfares. The group assessed food outlet type, types of prepared meals, presence of calorie labeling, and least and most expensive meals available. The findings included a high presence of fast food restaurants and outdoor trucks and limited healthy food availability. During the fall semester, several of the participants in the summer program worked with HEP to develop a healthy value meal similar to a child-targeted “Happy Meal.” The group created healthy palatable meals that a local restaurant could advertise at a lower price. After surveying 50 health center staff for menu item preferences, the group identified and collaborated with a local Latino restaurant and pizza shop to plan such a meal. The two “Healthy Value Meals” that the group developed for promotion were (1) chicken, green pepper, tomato and onion pizza and a bottle of water and (2) grilled chicken, lettuce, and tomato sandwich and a bottle of water, each priced at $3.50.