She’s teaching kids, families how to make healthy meals from foods of their homeland

MIAMI — Ashley Carter was born and raised in Miami’s Liberty City. Growing up, both of her parents had health issues, and unfortunately, due to health complications, her mother passed away when Carter was 14.

“I didn’t really make the connection to the environment that we lived in, as far as not having grocery stores nearby and healthier options, just lots of fast food and corner stores. But after I went off to Florida State, I saw a different environment, so that inspired me to come back home and create those changes that we needed in our community,” says Carter. Carter, a registered dietitian, founded EatWell Exchange in 2017 as a nonprofit on a mission to educate communities on eating healthy with foods from their culture. Healthy eating habits can be passed on from generation to generation, which will help prevent disease. “My focus is generational health so that we can all be healthier, and also increasing access to healthy foods,” Carter says.

To increase access to fresh produce, EatWell Exchange offers gardening programs, including classes on growing your own foods. EatWell often partners with local or national Black-owned farms. The core of EatWell’s programming is its free farmers market for its constituents. “Along with that, we give nutrition education and recipes to help people use the foods that they’re getting in a healthier way,” Carter says. Other programs are focused on nutrition education. EatWell’s nutrition program includes cooking demos at community events and festivals and multi-generational hands-on cooking classes, such as the ones held on Saturdays at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex.