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Corner stores are notoriously known for their grab and go items but in Asbury Park there’s a push to ensure that some of those items are healthy food choices.

The Healthy Corner Store initiative was created to support store owners committed to increasing the healthy food inventory in their venues and to encourage customers to make healthier choices, said Lisa Lee of EZ Ride, who administers the local program in conjunction with the Mayor’s Wellness Committee and Hackensack Meridian Health.

“As many cities lack large grocery stores and all residents may not have transportation, partnering with corner stores is an effective approach to increasing healthy food access for local residents,” she said.

The Healthy Corner Store initiative is a state program administered locally through a $5,000 grant by The Food Trust, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. The program launched locally in 2016 and continues to make ground by hosting community awareness and educational events at its participating bodegas.

“La Tapatia and Asbury Park Deli provided free healthy samples, nutrition information, and coupons that can be redeemed for fresh fruit cups,” Lee said of the two events held this month. “The goal is simple – to encourage local residents, especially students, to try healthier snacks and to switch from sugary and salty snacks.”

At AP Deli on Atkins Avenue, Lee’s team gave away 61 coupons for fresh cut fruit cups and bottles of water, 33 sample cups of coconut water and 25 samples of mini pretzels. Lee said 20 people participated in the Monmouth Medical Center blood pressure screening and they talked to young children about not eating laundry detergent pods.

A free raffle for a healthy basket, filled with a whole pineapple, apples, oranges, pear, bananas, granola bars, water, recipe card set, jump rope, mini football, and health information on lead poisoning, smoking prevention and healthy eating went to Pamela Ward, one of 15 participants.

At La Tapatia on Main Street, 90 coupons were distributed, 11 people were screened, 35 cups of pretzel crisps, 54 aloe vera juice samples, and healthy recipe cards were given away. Scott Card won the healthy basket, which was filled with a pineapple, mango, chayote, kiwis, mango, oranges, brown rice, oats, black beans, a water bottle, a jump rope, mini football, and healthy recipe cards.

“EZ Ride’s Bike & Pedestrian Programs team has gotten involved with this effort to strengthen our work to improve health for residents along with promoting walking and biking as exercise,” Lee said. “Our ultimate goal is to encourage residents to ‘make the healthy choice the easy choice’ and to provide increased access to fresh produce and healthier afterschool snacks for kids.”

AP Deli and La Tapatia join Prime Convenience Store on Asbury Avenue, Sheffield’s Market on Bangs Avenue, Home Drug Store on Main Street, and Dark City Grill on Asbury Avenue in moving away from a common source of junk food and soda to venues that offer the healthier food options.

For more about the Healthy Corner Store initiative, visit njhealthycornerstores.heart.org, njymca.org/main/healthy-corner-stores, or thefoodtrust.org.

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