Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food.
Designing Participant-Centered Non-Congregate Summer Meal Programs
A recorded webinar that discusses non-congregate meal programs that serve rural populations in the summer. Focuses on the Second Harvest program in rural Florida and how they incorporated participant feedback and collaborated with community members. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses non-congregate meal programs that serve rural populations in the summer. Focuses on the Second Harvest program in rural Florida and how they incorporated participant feedback and collaborated with community members. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Public Transit Supports for Food Access: 2021 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL)
Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.
Author(s): Brianna L. Smarsh, Young Shin Park, Seung Hee Lee, Diane M. Harris, Heidi M. Blanck
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240458
Date: 05/2025
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Examines public transit availability and planning, presence of demand responsive transportation (DRT), and DRT services to food retail destinations in 1,956 municipalities. Provides data on demographic disparities in public transit access and planning, including rural-urban disparities. Discusses health impacts of access to healthy food and the importance of planning for adequate public transit.
Author(s): Brianna L. Smarsh, Young Shin Park, Seung Hee Lee, Diane M. Harris, Heidi M. Blanck
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240458
Date: 05/2025
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Who Regularly Uses the Nutrition Facts Label? Exploring Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Geographic Differences
Analyzes the consumers who regularly read nutrition facts labels when purchasing food. Utilizes National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to examine label use by demographic and household characteristics, dietary and spending behaviors, nutrition information use measures, and geographic characteristics, including small/medium metropolitan area versus nonmetropolitan area.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Brandon J. Restrepo
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Analyzes the consumers who regularly read nutrition facts labels when purchasing food. Utilizes National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to examine label use by demographic and household characteristics, dietary and spending behaviors, nutrition information use measures, and geographic characteristics, including small/medium metropolitan area versus nonmetropolitan area.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Brandon J. Restrepo
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Map the Meal Gap 2025: A Report on Local Food Insecurity and Food Costs in the United States in 2023
Provides information on food insecurity in the United States, with a focus on impacts for variable demographic populations, food spending and prices, and policy and program implications. Includes data breakdowns according to geographical region and rural versus urban location.
Additional links: Technical Appendix
Author(s): A. Dewey, J. Hilvers, S. Dawes, et al.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Provides information on food insecurity in the United States, with a focus on impacts for variable demographic populations, food spending and prices, and policy and program implications. Includes data breakdowns according to geographical region and rural versus urban location.
Additional links: Technical Appendix
Author(s): A. Dewey, J. Hilvers, S. Dawes, et al.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Serving Beyond Summer School: Reaching More Kids with Rural Summer Meals
A recorded webinar that provides 3 program examples of non-congregate summer meal service in rural areas. Discusses program details such as operations, distribution, scheduling, menu, marketing, and overcoming challenges. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Author(s): Lucretia Hertzock, Heidi Ottaway, Megan Adams
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that provides 3 program examples of non-congregate summer meal service in rural areas. Discusses program details such as operations, distribution, scheduling, menu, marketing, and overcoming challenges. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Author(s): Lucretia Hertzock, Heidi Ottaway, Megan Adams
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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1 in 10 Adults Ages 50 and Older Were Food Insecure in 2023
Provides 2013-2023 data on food insecurity in adults 50 and older. Includes breakdowns of food insecurity prevalence by state and demographic factors, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Carlos Figueiredo
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Provides 2013-2023 data on food insecurity in adults 50 and older. Includes breakdowns of food insecurity prevalence by state and demographic factors, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Carlos Figueiredo
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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County Characteristics Associated With Receipt of Food Boxes Through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program
Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reaching Rural Families with Grab & Go: Ideas for Transforming Summer Meal Programs
A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to implement grab-and-go non-congregate meal service programs in rural areas. Includes recommendations on planning, staffing, distribution models, and lessons learned.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Author(s): Karla Boudreaux Horton, Avary Maunakea, Beth Miller, Robin Hernandez
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to implement grab-and-go non-congregate meal service programs in rural areas. Includes recommendations on planning, staffing, distribution models, and lessons learned.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Author(s): Karla Boudreaux Horton, Avary Maunakea, Beth Miller, Robin Hernandez
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Challenges in Researching the Diets of SNAP Recipients — Addressing Methodological Flaws and Emphasizing SNAP as an Anti-Hunger Program
Provides information on food insecurity in the U.S. and the role of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to improve access to healthy food. Includes state-by-state data on poverty, food insecurity, and SNAP usage, including percentage of SNAP households living in rural counties.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Provides information on food insecurity in the U.S. and the role of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to improve access to healthy food. Includes state-by-state data on poverty, food insecurity, and SNAP usage, including percentage of SNAP households living in rural counties.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Expanding Your Reach: Planning Your Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service
A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to maximize the impact of non-congregate meal service in rural areas. Includes information on regulations, tools to locate suitable rural areas, operational considerations, program models, and more. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to maximize the impact of non-congregate meal service in rural areas. Includes information on regulations, tools to locate suitable rural areas, operational considerations, program models, and more. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Last Updated: 5/29/2025