San Juan's Latino Markets Buck the Stereotype

Health advocates and the media often portray the obesity problem in lower-income neighborhoods as the result of a proliferation of junk food and a dearth of healthy options.

But a closer look at some poor neighborhoods in Orange County, including San Juan Capistrano, by the Voice of OC says that's not necessarily true.

A recent article takes the reader on a tour of several mercados in San Juan that offer plenty of fresh fruits and veggies along with traditional latino products.

The produce section of , a market serving mostly Latino shoppers in San Juan Capistrano, is the picture of health, literally.

The crates and shelves overflow with a rainbow palette of fruits and vegetables. Customers make soup from one of one the more popular items, Mexican squash, and they also eat a lot of papaya, according to store clerk George Zepeda.

“San Juan Capistrano has a lot of great places to shop for fresh and affordable fruits and veggies,” said Carla DiCandia, who manages community wellness initiatives for St. Joseph Health Mission Hospital.

In addition to El Campeon, there’s and , which range from less than a quarter-mile to a mile from La Zanja Street, a Latino enclave. (And Mercado el Rey will give customers a ride home if they live close by and meet a spending minimum.)

San Juan’s prevalence of markets runs contrary to the idea that a majority of low-income urban neighborhoods have become vast food deserts lacking access to fresh produce or grocery stores. 

Meanwhile, a study the California Center for Public Health Advocacy released in June found 33.7 percent of all children in San Juan Capistrano are either overweight or obese. That number, however, is middle of the road for Orange County cities, which ranged from 51.8 percent in Stanton to 14.3 percent in Laguna Beach.