32 Inland Empire Food Deserts Threaten Families’ Health, LLUCH Pediatrician Calls for Systemic Change

A Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital pediatrician is sounding the alarm on food access inequality in the Inland Empire, warning that policies, pricing, and geography are working in tandem to trap low-income families in a cycle of poor nutrition and worsening health outcomes.

“There are 32 food deserts in San Bernardino County alone,” said Dr. Gabrielle Pina on Inland Insight, the Inland Empire Community News podcast. “Twenty-seven of them are majority Latino. And in places like Victorville, the nearest grocery store might be four miles away—not far by car, but a major obstacle if you’re a one-car household relying on public transportation or walking.”

Pina, a pediatric hospitalist at Loma Linda University Children’s Health and lifelong Inland Empire resident, defines food deserts using the USDA standard: low-income communities where residents live more than one mile from access to affordable, fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Some families are spending up to 40% of their income on food—and that’s by federal definition of affordability,” said Pina. “If you’re earning less than 185% of the federal poverty line, which is about $48,000 a year, and you live in California, that’s not sustainable.”

Junk Food Replaces Nutrition

Dr. Pina described how families in food deserts are forced to prioritize calories over nutrients. “A cheeseburger is $1. A bag of grapes or a head of lettuce? Often three times as much. The system is failing families, and the result is soaring rates of childhood obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes—even in elementary school-aged children.”

She added that mental health issues are deeply connected to food insecurity and diet. “A recent 2023 psychology study found that children with obesity are seven times more likely to experience mental health disorders compared to their peers.”

Processed Food Access Is Not a Solution

In many of these food deserts, Pina said, gas stations or corner stores are counted as grocery options. “That’s not real food access,” she said. “Those fruits and vegetables are not only overpriced, but they also don’t have the shelf life or nutritional quality of fresh produce from a full-service grocery store.”

She pointed to cities like Hesperia, Apple Valley, and Victorville as having multiple food desert tracts, each with different challenges but the same result: a heavy reliance on processed, high-sugar, high-sodium foods. “Children are being hospitalized for things like constipation from hot Cheetos, and some parents don’t even know how to begin introducing nutritious options.”

Public Health at Risk if Programs Are Cut

When asked about the federal and state safety nets that support these families—like SNAP, school breakfast and lunch programs, and after-school meals—Pina warned that these are often the first to be slashed during budget cuts.

“If you can’t contribute to the economy immediately, you’re not prioritized. That’s how our system works. So we’re seeing nutrition programs—programs that feed kids—on the chopping block,” she said. “And starving kids now do not grow into healthy, productive adults later.”

She noted that in states like Arizona, the elimination of summer school lunch funding a decade ago had catastrophic results, with pediatricians recording a surge in poverty and hunger. “When that safety net disappeared, children went without food all summer. That can permanently impact development and academic performance.”

Food Deserts and the Bigger Cultural Shift

Pina said the rise in food deserts reflects a larger breakdown in America’s food culture. “We used to grow our own food. We lived in multi-generational homes. Now we’ve moved into a hyper-independent culture that’s failing us, especially for families with children.”

She advocated for city-funded community gardens, better public transportation routes to grocery stores, and policies that incentivize grocers to open in low-access neighborhoods. “Farmers markets are great—but they’re often too expensive for the very communities they’re supposed to serve,” she said.

Tangible Solutions for Families

Pina offered real-life, practical steps that families can begin taking now, even without major resources. These include:

• Swapping soda and chips for cuties, cucumbers, or snack-sized carrots.
  
• Shopping weekly with your children and using digital ads to plan meals.
  
• Making homemade alternatives to overpriced convenience foods, like Uncrustables or frozen lunches.
  
• Introducing kids to healthy meal prep and letting them select one new fruit or vegetable each week.
  
• Stocking pantry staples like whole wheat pasta and frozen bread to stretch meals.
  
• Making overnight oats and other low-cost breakfast options to cut down on sugary cereals and pastries.
  

“If you don’t buy the soda, if you don’t buy the French fries, your kids will be forced to grab the cuties or carrots. And they’ll live. They will adapt. In two weeks, their cravings for sugar and salt will go down,” Pina said.

She added that cravings are often warning signs: Sugar often signals fatigue or stress, while salt cravings can be linked to dehydration. “Instead of grabbing a soda, your body might just need water. Or rest. Or time,” she said. “We need to listen to those signals.”

School Meals: Progress and Gaps

While school meals have improved, especially in elementary schools, Pina said there’s room for more reform. “Kids are now required to put fruit and vegetables on their tray. That’s a win,” she said. “But things like chocolate milk, fruit juices, and ultra-sweet smoothies—those are unnecessary. They’re loaded with sugar.”

She pointed out that many kids’ favorite snacks—fruit snacks, hot Cheetos, Takis, red-colored drinks—contain Red Dye 40, which has been linked to hyperactivity. “We need more policies that reduce these additives,” she said. “But only if we replace them with affordable alternatives.”

A Return to the “We”

Pina, who lives in a multi-generational household, emphasized that parents and communities have power to shift habits. “Every family win—like a child trying a new vegetable—is a step forward. Celebrate that. This isn’t about being perfect; it’s about trying,” she said.

“We need to exit the mindset of ‘I’ and return to the mindset of ‘we.’ That’s how we build communities that thrive—not just for today, but for future generations.”

Listen to the full episode now on YouTube: @InlandInsightPodcast