The Healthy Food Systems team provides expertise, guidance, and hands-on training to organizations and schools striving to offer nutritious foods and healthy eating habits. Through multiple programs, the team works to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food.
The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP)
The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP) is a five-year project designed to reduce the amount of sodium consumed in schools and in emergency meal programs that primarily serve the food insecure in Northwest Arkansas. The SRCP team works with 58 schools and all six community meal programs in Arkansas to combat health disparities.
For more information about SRCP, contact Bonnie Faitak at BMFaitak@uams.edu. For information about nutritional efforts in Northwest Arkansas schools, contact Anna Fisher at ACFisher@uams.edu. For information about nutritional and physical activity efforts in Early Childhood Education centers, contact Peter Cooper at PCooper@uams.edu.
For information about the food pantries the Healthy Food Systems Team works with, click here.
Funding for SRCP is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Creating Healthy Environments for Schools (CHEFS)
Through Creating Healthy Environments for Schools (CHEFS), Healthy Food Systems staff engage with local school districts to select and implement successful and effective nutrition changes to their food service programs in order to increase access to produce and to lower sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in meals. Through CHEFS, the Healthy Food Systems team will work with six school districts in Northwest Arkansas to help students have access to their best health.
For more information about CHEFS, contact Bonnie Faitak at BMFaitak@uams.edu.
Funding for CHEFS is provided by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Farm to Institution
Our Farm to Institution team works with institutions throughout Arkansas – including hospitals, state entities, schools, childcare centers, distributors, Arkansas farms and more – to ultimately lead to statewide economic development and improve access to fresh, healthy food items for all Arkansans.
For more information about the Farm to Institution Program, contact Emily English at ESEnglish@uams.edu.
Delivering Health
The Healthy Food Systems team is working to reduce Type 2 Diabetes among food insecure families across Arkansas by distributing Type 2 Diabetes food boxes to participants. In addition to providing food, the boxes will contain educational materials designed to help adults manage their Type 2 Diabetes. Additionally, staff will develop a training program for medical students that will help them recognize food insecurity-related issues and chronic diseases.
For more information about Delivering Health, contact Krista Langston at KLangston@uams.edu or Dr. Chris Long at CRLong2@uams.edu.
Funding for Delivering Health is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Supporting Healthy Options at Pantries (SHOP)
The Supporting Healthy Options at Pantries (SHOP) program engages and encourages pantries to implement changes to their operations in order to empower clients to choose healthy foods for their families.
For more information about SHOP, contact Bonnie Faitak at BMFaitak@uams.edu.
Learn More
Resources
Resources are available in multiple languages and can be used in classrooms, food pantries, at home, and more.
Healthy Food Systems Resources
Success Stories
Click here to see how our Healthy Food Systems team and our community partners have succeeded in creating a better state of health for all.
Healthy Food Systems Success Stories