Shopping in a Food Desert (& Mac n Cheese Recipe)

I had a really eye-opening experience this week when Professor Girard gave our team some ideas to prepare for the lecture and discussion about food deserts. Colette and I found a food desert in Avondale Estates close to the east side of the perimeter. Looking around, we noticed that area mainly consisted of apartment complexes and some houses, mostly run down. The only places we could get food were a Texaco gas station and a Dollar General. The Dollar General accepted SNAP so we decided to check it out first. We were pleasantly surprised to find a small refrigerated and frozen section which I haven't seen at other Dollar Generals. On a tight budget though, we noticed how the food in these sections was more expensive. The most expensive item we purchased was butter. There were also numerous sections for chips and candy.

One of the most interesting pieces of information I learned from this experience was how often times, the food at places like Dollar General can be priced higher than at a grocery store in a different neighborhood. This really opened my eyes to some of the additional difficulties people face when they have poor access to healthy food.

I included our mac n cheese recipe (which makes a ton). What I love about homemade mac n cheese is that you can swap out different types of cheeses depending on your taste. A little added nutmeg really heightens the flavor of the dish, but it is not a cheap spice so we did not include it. Enjoy!

Mac n Cheese recipe
8 oz sharp cheddar
4 oz mild cheddar
4 oz gruyere (we used mozzarella to keep it in budget)
1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
5 cups milk
2 packages egg noodles
1/2 bag Cheddar and Sour Cream chips

Makes 12-15 servings

Boil water and add noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente.
In a large saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Stir for a minute or two, then add milk. Stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add in cheese and stir until melted.
Mix half of cheese mixture into noodles and pour into a casserole dish. Add remainder cheese mixture on top, followed by crushed chips. Bake in oven for a couple minutes until chips start to turn brown.