Study: Do ‘Tiendas’ Offer Healthier Food Options?

Salud Today

Barriers remain in Latinos’ ability to purchase healthier dairy and meat options in tiendas — Latino-focused grocery stores — according to a new study.

The study, published recently in Public Health Nutrition, compared the availability, quality and cost of healthy and unhealthy foods in 10 tiendas and 15 supermarkets in San Diego County, Calif.

Researchers found that tiendas were smaller, charged more for a gallon of skim milk, and offered less lean ground beef than supermarkets.

However, they also found that tiendas had similar fresh produce offerings at lower prices.

“These results highlight the potential that tiendas have in improving access to quality, fresh produce within lower-income communities,” the researchers concluded. “However, efforts are needed to increase the access and affordability of healthy dairy and meat products.”