By Sneha Sujil, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida

The Mums and Spices cookbook series is a wonderful way to showcase the accomplishments of the mum’s group and promote MCFB’s goal of comprehensive familial wellbeing. Here, I will outline sources and guidance for use as reference material and a foundation for future endeavours. Ideas about nutrition can also be a great starting point for expanding public outreach. Cleanly presented information on nutrition advice or educational material on food-related disparities can help engage an outside audience. As the cookbook project does, it is imperative that parents from vulnerable and/or diverse backgrounds are empowered about their ability to nourish their families. 

Joassart-Marcelli, P., Rossiter, J. S., & Bosco, F. J. (2017). Ethnic markets and community food security in an urban “food desert.” Environment and Planning. A, 49(7), 1642–1663. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X17700394 

This paper argues against the use of the “food desert” metaphor entirely, because it implies a lack of food. Using a low-income neighbourhood in San Diego as an example, the researchers explore the contributions of smaller-scale food stores, often locally owned. A special emphasis is placed on the role of ethnic grocery stores. In traditional analyses, the absence of large-scale chain grocery stores is treated as a major component of a food desert, which overlooks the role of “nontraditional” food sources. The researchers argue here that the public health view of community food security should account for ethnically diverse sources and recognize their potential in providing nutritious food at affordable prices. Additionally, they analyse how such local sources can foster the community directly in a way traditional large-scale sources can’t. This is especially relevant to lower-income neighbourhoods, where interpersonal connection is a recognised safeguard against worsening issues of poverty or marginalisation. 

Rachwa-Rosiak, D., Nebesny, E., & Budryn, G. (2015). Chickpeas—Composition, nutritional value, health benefits, application to bread and snacks: A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 55(8), 1137–1145. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.687418 

This food science review focuses on the nutritional value of chickpeas, including research on methods to maximise their nutritional value. Chickpeas are a key ingredient in several cuisines, such as hummus, popular throughout the Middle East, and Indian staples such as chana masala. For families from these regions, they are a familiar ingredient and a common choice in home cooking. Their high protein and vitamin content makes them a nutrient-dense food, as well as a good option for growing children and active individuals. The article also goes into detail about how chickpeas can be incorporated into other foods to potentially improve nutrient uptake. This review brings up questions that warrant further research as well. Pricing varies, and while canned chickpeas are much more convenient, the dried variety is generally cheaper. Factors like this must be considered in the context of low-income families, which opens the door to understanding how other culturally common ingredients can be integrated as well. 

Whelan, A., Wrigley, N., Warm, D., & Cannings, E. (2002). Life in a “food desert.” Urban Studies (Edinburgh, Scotland), 39(11), 2083–2100. https://doi.org/10.1080/0042098022000011371 

Published in Edinburgh, this paper may provide links to usable Edinburgh-specific sources. It comes from the ‘Food Deserts in British Cities’ project, which is worth looking into. While nutritional issues resulting from geographic proximity are a key public health concern in both the UK and the US, there are sure to be differences. Future plans for food-related outreach would benefit from a UK-specific model. The paper analyses the results of a focus group in Leeds. It’s notable that food deserts are treated as both a health inequality issue and a social exclusion issue (Whelan et al., 2083). The latter is closely in line with MCFB’s goal of improving familial wellbeing by preventing isolation. This paper offers several factors by which to gauge the influence of a potential food desert and how locals adapt: “price/cost, distance, physical mobility, motivation to consider health, family responsibilities and individual smoking status (Whelan et al., 2096). The results offer insight into how even among minority or low-income communities, priorities about shopping and the view of “healthy eating” vary. 

Sources for further topic expansion: 

Barh, D., Aburjaile, F., Tavares, T., da Silva, M., Mattos Bretz, G., Martins Rocha, I., Dey, A., de 

Souza, R., Góes-Neto, A., Ribeiro, S., Alzahrani, K., Alghamdi, A., Alzahrani, F., 

Halawani, I., Tiwari, S., A. Aljabali, A., Lundstrom, K., Azevedo, V., & Ganguly, N. (2023). Indian food habit & food ingredients may have a role in lowering the severity & high death rate from COVID-19 in Indians: Findings from the first nutrigenomic analysis. Indian Journal of Medical Research (New Delhi, India : 1994), 157(4), 293–303. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_1701_22

Deendyal, A., & Huntwork, M. (2023). Rashes and food allergy: A case of cultural connections to foods and health. Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, 131(5), S172–S172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2023.08.531 

Ghvanidze, S., Velikova, N., Dodd, T., & Oldewage-Theron, W. (2017). A discrete choice experiment of the impact of consumers’ environmental values, ethical concerns, and health consciousness on food choices: A cross-cultural analysis. British Food Journal (1966), 119(4), 863–881. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2016-0342 

Ilangovan, P., Subramaniam, A., Vembu, R., & Selvi, S. (2024). Development and nutritional and sensory evaluation of ragi, bajra, and white soybean incorporated adai: Traditional South Indian food for pregnant women with micronutrient deficiency. International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Neurological Diseases, 14(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnpnd.ijnpnd_75_23

Wallace, T. C., Murray, R., & Zelman, K. M. (2016). The nutritional value and health benefits of chickpeas and hummus. Nutrients, 8(12), 766. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8120766