Bodegas are an essential part of the food ecosystem throughout New York City. In many neighborhoods across our city, particularly those in The Bronx, there are significantly more bodegas than supermarkets. More than ninety percent of New Yorkers shop in bodegas at least once per week, and approximately two-thirds visit a bodega daily.
However, residents’ purchases in bodegas are more likely to be unhealthy options like soda, sweets, and chips. Furthermore, only five percent of residents report that bodegas are their primary source of fruits and vegetables. Instead, residents go to their nearest supermarkets to buy these healthier options.
In a borough that faces high rates of obesity and health concerns such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes, we must look for more ways to improve the quality and healthfulness of the food options that are available to our residents, especially in the bodegas where they shop most frequently.
This is why it is crucial to support efforts like the Healthy Bodega/Bodega Fresca Initiative, spearheaded by a partnership between the Bodega and Small Business Group and the Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH, Collective Fare and the FRESCH initiative of Shen’naque Sean Butler that assists bodegas with offering a more robust selection of culturally appropriate, affordable, healthy and nutritious options in their stores. This is especially true in neighborhoods that are considered food deserts, like Mott Haven and Hunts Point. By meeting our residents where they shop every day, we can help them make healthier choices and improve their diets, just by giving them a greater selection of appealing products to choose from.
Many Bronxites would welcome healthier options, but they are not always available for residents to purchase. By working with the thousands of bodegas across our city, we can improve selections and make a real difference. And this does not come at a cost to the bodegas’ bottom lines because residents are eager to choose these healthier options.
It is crucial that these healthy selections are chosen in partnership with the community, hearing directly from consumers about what they are interested in buying. Only a robust dialogue, aimed at reaching those whose health is on the line, can successfully improve health outcomes across our borough. This is central to the Healthy Bodega/Bodega Fresca focus: Bodega Fresca was created to bring fresh, culturally inspired grab-and-go foods into Bronx neighborhood corner stores — with bodega and community leadership at the forefront. Rooted in Latin and Caribbean flavors, each product blends tradition and nutrition—offering better choices that reflect the taste of the communities we serve. From jerk chicken wraps to tamarind granola bites, Bodega Fresca is about access, flavor, and dignity in every bite.
With many of our residents facing reductions to their SNAP and WIC benefits due to budget cuts in Washington, it is more important now than ever that they have access to healthy options that are affordable for their family’s budget. If unhealthy options are cheaper than healthy ones, then it is more likely that residents will choose those options, regardless of the negative outcomes to their health.
Our bodegas provide a critical function in our city, and New York would be completely different without these shops on every block. But with threats to their livelihoods from budget cuts, rising prices, and security concerns, our bodegas are at risk. That is why building partnerships is so important. By creating robust alliances between private businesses, non-profits, advocates, and government agencies, we can ensure that bodegas are able to remain in their communities, earn enough to stay open, and provide the healthy food options that our residents want and need.
I urge all of our residents to join us in bringing healthier options to our bodegas. We must all do our part to improve health outcomes in our borough, and that starts by making healthier choices about what we eat. With more nutritious options in our bodegas, this will be easier than ever because Healthy Bodegas make Healthy Communities.
Vanessa L. Gibson is the Bronx Borough President, and Francisco Marte is President of the Bodega & Small Business Group-BHR.
