Introduce or modify land use policies/zoning regulations to promote, expand, and protect potential sites for community gardens and farmers' markets, such as vacant city-owned land or unused parking lots (3) Develop community-based group activities (e.g., community kitchens) that link procurement of affordable, healthy food with improving skills in purchasing and preparing food. (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Strategy 4 - Public Programs and Worksites - Ensure that publicly-run entities such as after-school programs, child-care facilities, recreation centers, and local government worksites implement policies and practices to promote healthy foods and beverages and reduce or eliminate the availability of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods. (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Action Steps: (1) Mandate and implement strong nutrition standards for foods and beverages available in government-run or regulated after-school programs, recreation centers, parks, and child care facilities (which includes limiting access to calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods); (2) Ensure that local government agencies that operate cafeterias and vending options have strong nutrition standards in place wherever foods and beverages are sold or available; (3) Provide incentives or subsidies to government run or regulated programs and localities that provide healthy foods at competitive prices and limit calorie-dense, nutrient poor foods (e.g., after-school programs that provide fruits or vegetables every day, and eliminate calorie-dense, nutrient poor foods in vending machines or as part of the program). (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Strategy 5: Government Nutrition Programs - Increase participation in federal, state, and local government nutrition assistance programs (e.g., WIC, school breakfast and lunch, the Child and Adult Care Food Program [CACFP], the Afterschool Snacks Program, the Summer Food Service Program, SNAP). (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Action Steps: (1) Put policies in place that require government-run and -regulated agencies responsible for administering nutrition assistance programs to collaborate across agencies and programs to increase enrollment and participation in these programs (i.e., WIC agencies should ensure that those who are eligible are also participating in SNAP, etc.); (2) Ensure that child care and after-school program licensing agencies encourage utilization of the nutrition assistance programs and increase nutrition program enrollment (CACFP, Afterschool Snack Program, and the Summer Food Service Program). (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Strategy 6: Breastfeeding - Encourage breastfeeding and promote breastfeeding-friendly communities. (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Action Steps: (1) Adopt practices in city and county hospitals that are consistent with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative USA (United Nations Children's Fund/World Health Organization). This initiative promotes, protects, and supports breastfeeding through ten steps to successful breastfeeding for hospitals; (2) Permit breastfeeding in public places and rescind any laws or regulations that discourage or do not allow breastfeeding in public places and encourage the creation of lactation rooms in public places; (3) Develop incentive programs to encourage government agencies to ensure breastfeeding-friendly worksites, including providing lactation rooms; (4) Allocate funding to WIC clinics to acquire breast pumps to loan to participants. (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Strategy 7: Drinking Water Access - Increase access to free, safe drinking water in public places to encourage water consumption instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Action Steps: (1) Require that plain water be available in local government-operated and administered outdoor areas and other public places and facilities; and (2) Adopt building codes to require access to and maintenance of fresh drinking water fountains (e.g., public restroom codes). (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Goal 2: Reduction of Access to and Consumption of Calorie-Dense, Nutrient-Poor Foods.
Strategy 8: Policies and Ordinances - Implement fiscal policies and local ordinances to discourage the consumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages (e.g., taxes, incentives, land use and zoning regulations). (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
Action Steps: (1) Implement a tax strategy to discourage consumption of foods and beverages that have minimal nutritional value, such as sugar-sweetened beverages; (2) Adopt land use and zoning policies that restrict fast food establishments near school grounds and public playgrounds; (3) Implement local ordinances to restrict mobile vending of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods near schools and public playgrounds; (4) Implement zoning designed to limit the density of fast food establishments in residential communities (5) Eliminate advertising and marketing of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages near school grounds and public places frequently visited by youths; (6) Create incentive and recognition programs to encourage grocery stores and convenience stores to reduce point-of-sale marketing of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods (i.e.,...
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