PLANT CITY, Fla. — The United Food Bank of Plant City is teaching families about eating healthier through a new program called F.E.E.D., which stands for Food Education Empowerment for Development.

Alessandra Lopez Flores knows that we need food to survive and get through the day, and that is why she’s taking part in the food education course.

“We have to drink water and eat healthier to have a better lifestyle in the future,” she said.

Flores immigrated from Mexico almost two years ago. She says she grew up eating whatever was available, not learning about proper food portions.

This course is helping her understand what a balanced diet is, and in turn, she can share that information with her family. She said her mother suffers from obesity and diabetes.

“Right now, it’s important to practice what we learn, for my daughter, so that she learns how to eat better, and because it can lead to obesity,” Flores says.

Unidos US reports that without affordable access to healthy food, Hispanic communities face an epidemic of diet-related illnesses, with 70% of Latinos more likely to suffer from diabetes and 30% more likely to die from it.

Program Manager Deborah Foos says it is important to talk about family health history.

“When you go to the doctor, and you take your children to the doctor, that they know what illnesses are in your family to see if there is something happening in your children,” she said.

The program is funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. They also bring in pharmacists to talk about medications and families leave with a box of food to get started.

For Flores, it means eating more fruits, vegetables and drinking more water so she can be healthy for her kids.

“If we don’t start making a change now, what good will it be for us in the future?” she said.

Changing the narrative for her family for generations to come.

The program lasts for six weeks long and is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.