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Rodney and I have been married for 17 years and there is one issue we have never worked out that still gets both of us hyped for battle. That issue is FOOD. And I am so afraid that the casualty of the battle will be Morgan. Let me explain.
I didn’t grow up in Texas and when I arrived to San Antonio I realized that I had very different sensibilities about food. I spent my formative years exposed to a wide variety of foods and my young adult years around many people who were vegetarians or made other health conscious food choices. Rodney did not have the same experiences and, as we all know, it is difficult to break habits when you are older.
When Morgan was born I was determined that she would be exposed to and develop an appreciation for healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and fish at an early age. In many ways I succeeded. She was a six year old who loved spinach and salmon and was willing to try different foods.
During the last almost three years that I have been in the Mayor’s Office, however, I have not had time to prepare healthy options at home on a regular basis. I get home way after dinner time and often see the remnants of fast food in the kitchen. When I do cook, Morgan tends to focus on the meat and starch aspects, which has led to a common refrain from me to, “Eat some fruit with that!” After I yell, she will grudgingly go get a container of applesauce or mandarin oranges. What happened to my green bean and spinach lover?
I know my story is not unique. And unfortunately for many San Antonio families, access to healthy nourishing food is limited because of where they live. Yes, San Antonio does have food deserts.
I recently attended a Nutrition Summit at the San Antonio Food Bank where we talked about how to make healthy, fresh options available to more San Antonians. There is a lot of interest and momentum for urban agriculture initiatives and partnerships with school districts since so many kids eat the majority of their meals at school. Of course, the education side of this issue is important as well because as my own situation demonstrates, we need parents to be willing to purchase and prepare healthy foods.
San Antonio Mayor and mom Ivy Taylor attended the San Antonio Food Bank Summit recently and she walked through its new Mobile Mercado.
I would really love to see a major movement on this issue because it has such as huge impact on health and quality of life for our citizens. I will do my part to make sure City Hall is engaged in partnership initiatives to promote healthy food options for our citizens. And at home, I won’t stop pushing Morgan to, “Eat some fruit with that!”
San Antonio Mom Blogs is proud to partner with Mayor Ivy Taylor to provide a nonpartisan venue for her to share resources for, and news and topics pertinent to, San Antonio families. A mom herself, Mayor Taylor understands the importance of family and we hope you’ll enjoy the unique perspective she shares with us here on San Antonio Mom Blogs.
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