What's the Best Way to Take a Bite Out of the Big Apple?

Nearly 60 percent of New York City residents are currently overweight or obese, according to the city’s health statistics.

“Obesity kills 5,800 New Yorkers a year,” said Health Commissioner Thomas A. Farley in a press release. Many New Yorkers, however, are fighting to stay healthy by buying fresh fruits and vegetables. 

In New York City, you can buy fresh produce at Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe’s, or at the nearby fruit stands at the street corner.

When Erica G., 31, goes shopping for food, she always has the notion of being healthy in her mind.

“I try to go to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s sometimes, and Food Emporium. Wait, I go to the Amish Market the most because it’s close to my house. I go food shopping about once or twice a week,” she said.

While sitting on a bench at Madison Square Park, Anddeen K., 57, pulled a green apple out of a paper brown bag. She goes produce shopping once a week and prefers super markets and farmers markets over Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s because the food is “more qualitative,” she says.

Dominique Forin, 57, was sitting outside of Madison Square Park at a silver table with two little girls, feeding them strawberries and cucumbers. Saving money and having healthy food is most important to her when produce shopping, she said. Forin goes shopping at ShopRite and farmers markets. Like Anddeen, Forin prefers to shop at farmers markets since “the food is straight from [the] farm to [the] public with no middle man,” she said.

According to the city, low-income residents eat less fruit and vegetables than those with a high-income. To help reverse this, 138 farmers markets across the five boroughs accept Food Stamps, EBT and Health Bucks, which gives residents an extra $2 for every $5 they spend.

Anddeen K., says she pays attention to prices when she’s buying produce.

“If I have no job, then I worry a lot more about the cost, but, overall I worry about the health,” she said.

Carol Chirolas, a homeless women who was sitting at a dog park eating a sandwich said, “If I had money I would buy from fruit stands and maybe [the] farmers market, it [may cost] more money but, it’s worth it.”

But even teenagers worry about the cost of healthy food.

Kimberly Rodriguez, a 16-year-old, goes to the farmers markets to buy a bag of kernel and whenever her mom wants her to go. 

“I guess everything there tastes better and is healthier, but, I wouldn’t go [there] as my usual shopping place,” she said. “For what I buy, the kernel, its cheaper than the regular supermarket brand.”