In conversations about food access, food deserts are often mentioned. But in many neighborhoods, the bigger problem is food swamps — areas where unhealthy options, such as fast food and snacks, are everywhere, and healthy options are difficult to access.
A food desert is an area with low access to affordable, nutritious food, often because full-service grocery stores are far away or hard to reach. “Low access” is often defined as low-income areas where many residents live more than one mile from a supermarket.
A food swamp, on the other hand, has an oversaturation of fast food, carryout options, corner stores, and convenience stores selling highly processed snacks and sugary drinks, while fresh produce and healthy options are limited or overpriced.
In DC, some neighborhoods may have a grocery store that is technically nearby, yet their day-to-day food choices still consist of cheap, calorie-dense foods. When a community is saturated with unhealthy food options, the easiest meals become whatever is the quickest and most affordable, especially for those who are juggling multiple jobs, caregiving, and long commutes.
Not every neighborhood struggles with food access in the same way. Answering a few questions about your daily life can help you figure out whether where you live is in a food desert, a food swamp, or a mix of both: Can you get to a grocery store easily without a car, especially with kids, bags, or mobility challenges? Are there multiple carryout options, fast food chains, and convenience stores nearby, but few places to buy affordable produce and fresh proteins? Even if a store sells fruit, is it fresh and reasonably priced or is it bruised, limited, and expensive? Are sugary drinks and snacks right in your face, promoted by deals that make healthier choices feel out of reach?
If you answered “yes” to several of these, you may be living in a food swamp, even if you’re not in a textbook “desert.”
Big policy solutions are needed to address issues such as food deserts and food swamps. But there are also practical steps families can take right now to improve access to healthier food. Take advantage of farmers’ markets — many accept SNAP benefits and offer matching programs that make fruits and vegetables more affordable. Shop with intention at stores and look for reliable staples like canned tuna, beans, frozen vegetables, and low-sodium items. Create a simple, no-cook routine by keeping quick options on hand, such as yogurt, bagged salad, rotisserie chicken, and fruit. If transportation is a barrier, a single monthly delivery for grocery items may cost less than multiple shorter trips.
Everyone deserves to live in neighborhoods where healthy food choices are available. Recognizing the difference between a desert and a swamp helps communities push for what they need in areas where affordable, nutritious food is not accessible.
Sources
1. “What Are Food Swamps? All You Need To Know,” Healthline, March 28, 2023
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ food-swamps, accessed January 8, 2026.
2. “Food Access Research Atlas — Documentation,” Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, January 5, 2025
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-prod- ucts/food-access-research-atlas/documentation, accessed January 8, 2026.
All images are submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia and are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model