Baltimore City has one of the longest standing networks of public markets in the country. Its six public markets are located in or near food deserts and serve over 4.2 million customers. BFPI is working with the city’s public markets through the Get Fresh Get Fit initiative to meet customers where they are by increasing availability of healthy foods, implementing a healthy carryout strategy and promoting health and fitness. Strategies include the following:
Get Fresh Kids
BFPI identified that children were a hidden population at the market with approximately 900 children ages 0-14 visiting the market on a weekend and over 200 on a weekday. The Get Fresh Kids pilot program offered healthy kids’ meals and edible food art workshops at the market. Outcomes included 172 children participating in the workshop, 105 parents educated on their child’s nutrition needs, and over 111 kids’ meals purchased. As a result, the market recognized the need to reach children and families and is exploring ways to better integrate family and nutrition programming into market activities.
Healthy Carryouts
The healthy carryout strategy was modeled after evidence-based strategies from Baltimore Healthy Carryouts, an intervention study conducted by Dr. Joel Gittelsohn and Seung Hee Lee at the Center of Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. BFPI conducted consumer focus groups and community food assessments, and worked with 38 public market merchants to offer and promote healthy, affordable food through healthy menu labeling and combination meal deals. Look for the green leaf to help you find healthier options at the market.
Visit www.bpmarkets.com or www.lexingtonmarket.com to find out more about the markets.