40 Million Americans Don't Have Access To Enough Food. These Companies Are Trying To Change That

Food access is not just a health issue—it's an issue of equality. Last year 40 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, meaning they consistently did not have access to enough food to live a healthy life.

Fortunately, there are some companies out there looking to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible to all. Just today, Naked Juice and Wholesome Wave hosted an event as part of their annual #DrinkGoodDoGood social media campaign—which aims to increase access to affordable, high-quality produce. In 2016, this campaign donated over 100,000 pounds of healthy fruit and vegetables to those in need. This year, for every shopping cart dance video uploaded to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag #FillYourCartForGood, Naked and Wholesome will donate $100 of produce to people in food-insecure areas. So if you've been waiting to bust a move or make a difference, the time is now! Did we mention John Legend and Misty Copeland are ambassadors for the campaign (and that they'll soon be talking all about it and more on the mindbodygreen Podcast)?

And if you're thinking, "These are huge brands, what difference can one person really make?" well, let us remind you that real change starts from the ground up. There are tons of activists and organizations out there devoted to food access, and they're always looking for volunteers and donations. Here in New York, there's Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating food waste by delivering restaurant leftovers to those in need, and in Los Angeles, #mbgrevitalize speaker LaRayia Gaston heads up Lunch on Me, a nonprofit intent on ending starvation by redistributing organic food waste.