P27 Fruit and Vegetable Recipes Promoted at a Mobile Farmers’ Market in a Food Desert in the District of Columbia Ward 8

Nutritional-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes continue unabated in the District of Columbia Ward 8 whose residents are primarily African Americans. Wards are administrative divisions with approximately 75,000 persons. The District of Columbia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Annual Health Report confirmed that fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption were low among African Americans, especially in Ward 8 (Anderson-Morgan, Fett, Jasso, Moten, & Harrison, 2018) May - November 2018 a mobile Farmers’ Market was located at the Bellevue Library to provide the residents with access to fresh FV. Recipe tastings and demonstrations were included to demonstrate the ease of preparing produce that was purchased from the Farmers’ Market. Six recipes were introduced: pasta veggie salad; 3-bean salad; radish tomato salsa; summer squash salad; tangy savory slaw, and mint citrus water. Data was collected to determine whether residents planned to prepare these recipes at home.Three main objectives of this research were: a) determine the frequency of consumption of FV; b) determine the ease of recipe preparation, and c) determine improvement in the health and nutritional status of the residents.A five-question survey was administered to 152 attendees at the Famers’ Market located in Ward 8. Results for question two are included here “After tasting this recipe, do you plan to make it at home?”Attendees who tasted recipes during this six-week period, 93% planned to make these recipes at home.The results of attendees showed that 93% said yes, 5% said no, 2% did not respond, and 1% said maybe.Nutrition-education and recipes that are tasty and easy to make are key steps in changing behaviors of residents who are at high risk of nutritional-related diseases.