By Dr. Alice Ammerman, Professor of Nutrition at UNC
Good Bowls are here: Good food, with an even better story.
Good Bowls are locally sourced, nutritious frozen meals designed to promote health for people, the community, and the planet, while tackling food insecurity (lack of dependable access to affordable, healthy food). The idea was developed by Alice Ammerman, Professor of Nutrition at UNC and Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Ammerman and her current and former students aim to promote healthy food access for all while also supporting local sustainable agriculture. The Good Bowls recipes are based on the Mediterranean diet adapted for southeastern US tastes, emphasizing NC produce like sweet potatoes, peppers, and greens.
Weaver Street Market is participating in a pilot study to develop and test recipes as well as a cost-offset pricing model. The cost will be $4.99, with customers at Weaver Street and the Durham Food Co-op asked if they want to pay a little more ($2 more—$6.99) or a little less ($2 less—$2.99), while customers shopping in “food deserts” like corner and convenience stores in Durham and rural Warren County will pay the discounted rate of $2.99 for the same nutritious product.
The Good Bowls business model will ultimately include a collaborative network of partners—local farmers, community kitchens, and food retailers—so that the bowls can be produced locally and provide job opportunities as well as healthy meal options. Prepared meals like Good Bowls can take advantage of cost savings associated with “cosmetically challenged” or “seasonal glut” foods that may be harder for farmers to sell.
Check Weaver Street Market stores this weekend for Good Bowls taste testing (in all stores on Saturday June 16, 2018, from 11 to 2) and the opportunity to purchase them. They’ll be available in our freezer cases for the near future. We REALLY want your feedback about the idea and the product. (Email us at goodbowlsnc@gmail.com.)
So far we have 3 recipes:
- Chicken Burrito Style Bowl
- Vegetables & Chicken over Rice with Coconut Curry Sauce
- Sausage & Peppers Bowl with Cheese Grits
In the future we hope to have vegetarian options as well.
Good Bowls let you give back. One bowl at a time.
Connect with Good Bowls on social media:
- Facebook: @goodbowls (https://www.facebook.com/goodbowls/)
- Instagram: @good_bowls (https://www.instagram.com/good_bowls/)