Food is Medicine: A Lack of Healthy Fresh Food Can Lead to Dental Decay

Monday, February 3, 2025

The issue at hand:

Food insecurity is an issue within the houseless community that can lead to a multiplicity of other issues. One of these

major issues is dental decay. “Limited food choices likely contribute to multiple nutritional risks identified in unsheltered

populations, including inadequate micronutrient intake and low consumption of core food groups, such as fruits and

vegetables”. Without proper nutritional foods and inconsistencies in meal availability dental decay begins to happen,

leading to even more difficulties with eating proper nutritious foods. “Dental issues that caused avoidance of certain foods

were commonly reported (43.1%) with hard fruits (30.4%), raw vegetables (25%), and meat (20.7%) being the most

frequent types of foods avoided.”

What is being done:

One initiative set up to address these issues is the “Food is Medicine at Iron Gate” project.“The first phase consisted of a

two-part nutrition needs assessment that was followed by a second phase menu standards redesign. These formative

planning activities were included in the project timeline to help ensure the final healthy menu re-design would be acceptable

for Iron Gate guests, feasible for Iron Gate staff to implement, and financially sustainable”. Programs like these not only

provide healthy food access with dignity, but allow feedback from the communities they serve to create healthier, nutritious,

and tailored meals for the houseless community. The feedback they received also includes requests from those with dental

issues and the foods they avoided due to dental issues. “Due to the frequent occurrence of dental issues in this population,

culinary staff should be trained on strategies for preparing fruits and vegetables that are easier to chew, such as finely

shredding, blending, mashing, and even possibly juicing techniques.” Programs such as these are important in taking care

of the houseless community. All of us are people who deserve access to nutritious reliable food that keeps us healthy. “To

improve the dietary intake of the homeless population, understanding the factors driving this group's eating habits is crucial.

A limited body of literature addresses homeless people's experiences of food insecurity and suggests that multiple and

complex factors underpin food consumption; lack of income and access to food storage and preparation facilities stand out

as factors governing food choices”. Learning about these issues is the first step towards a solution. Action such as

volunteering or donating can help to better our urban community as a whole. Find ways to help your community of Portland

Oregon in the links below!

Pages