Poor Diet Quality and Limited Acces

Poor Diet Quality and Limited Access
to Healthy Foods
n Data on dietary practices among adolescents suggest
that further efforts are needed to promote consumption
of: 1) minimally processed foods, such as fruits,
vegetables and whole grains, and 2) low-fat or non-fat
milk products or other calcium sources.viii
n Only 21% of California adolescents ages 15-19 years
olds report eating the recommended five or more
servings of fruits or vegetables per day.ix
n Access to nutritious, low-cost foods, particularly in lowincome
neighborhoods, is limited. In contrast, fast foods
and junk foods are readily available through snack bars,
restaurants, liquor stores, convenience stores, and
vending machines. Schools offer a variety of healthier
meals in their free lunch programs; however, because
there is often stigma against school lunch food, older
students tend to select packaged foods from vending
machines